Ten on Tuesday - K (Kinda fragmented with some big grammer issues, but you get the general idea.)

1. Killing Me Softly – I’ve joked with Jen that this is our song…but really its God’s work. I mean those times when a friend of yours is speaking the same thing that is on your heart! It’s blows me away how often God uses friends and family in my life. When our struggles really are so similar and we can teach and sharpen each other if we just step out and share what’s really going on in our lives instead of trying to hide it so that we look put together.
2. Kierkegaard – My Mom sent me a card last week with a quote from Soren Kierkegaard that I just love “If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of the potential . . . for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible.” Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres…
3. Kris – God has used this new friend in my life more than I ever thought possible. I will continually praise Him for His perfect plan.
4. Kites – My family flies kites. It’s just something we do, we go to Mission beach and fly kites. It is frivolous and fun and brings us together as a family. I love it.
5. Kindred Spirits – I love this description of two friends that really know everything about each other and understand each other.
6. Kind – I used to listen to a song about kindness when I was a child, and I love that it is still in my head today. “When I treat you kindly, it makes you happy, changes your insides. Makes you feel encouraged, loved and special, and it makes you kind. Isn’t God good when he asks us just to love like he does? Isn’t God good, when he asks us, just to be so kind.”
7. Kindergarten – I’ve decided that if I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t be an analyst. I’d be a kindergarten teacher. However since I can’t do it all over again, I am so thankful that the Lord helped me discover such an intense desire to love the kids in my life.
8. Ken doll’s – without him, where would baby Barbies come from? OK not really. Man “K” isn’t easy! Moving on!
9. Kissing – It’s probably one of the best uses of your time in a marriage relationship.
10. Klondike bars – It’s a standard, but not required dessert at family functions. One of the things I will typically pick up on my way to wii night with my sister. We started getting them for family nights growing up and they stuck. They are so delicious!
11. Kahuna (as in The Big Kahuna) – A very popular movie in my family growing up was a movie called Back to the Beach with Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon and…yes none other them PeeWee Herman (pre-scandal). It’s super cheesy but has some classic lines in it…one of them was a favorite “Mom am I adopted, if not, can I be now?”

Ten on Tuesday - J (Just a few more and I'll be back on track!)

1. Jingles - Gimme a break! Gimme a break! Break me off a piece of that ____. Oh I wish I were an Oscar Meyer Wiener... I really do enjoy catchy tunes that continue to ring in your ear...so you know what they do? Beside work (maybe) at reminding us of certain products? They bring a small sense of community. Just something else that people, maybe with little in common that is obvious, can relate to each other through. Yes sometimes I find myself watching TV because I am lonely...not because the TV itself is a necessarily good companion...but because I know somewhere there are other people in the world watching the same thing I am. That makes me feel like a part of something. And if I, who am surrounded by the Love and acceptance of amazing friends and family, feel that way I bet there are other people out there that feel the same way too...granted they may not have analyzed it to the degree I have...sheesh. But also maybe I can relate to them someday if they hear me humming that tune and it can be how we start up a conversation and find that we have other things in common, and then somehow bless each other through that. Stranger things have happened. And yeah I did just write the framework of a Hallmark movie, but I don't think that's all bad either.

2. Joey D- Yes ladies and gentlemen he eats diaper cream like its going out of style, but he's a product of two of my favorite people in the whole world...and him just talking to me can melt my heart into a puddle...I am so very thankful he exists and can't wait to see what is to come! Praise the Lord for His child Joey.

3. Josiah R- Yes ladies and gentlemen he pees on me...but if I am going to be peed on by anyone in the world, he's who I'd pick no doubt! I can't wait to get to know Josiah, see him grow in the strength of the Lord, hear his voice when the time comes, and watch his parents raise him to be an amazing man of God.

4. Justification - So this is the thing I'm learning a lot about now. This thing called Justification and how it is different then Sanctification. So at the moment we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, at that moment in History, right when it happened, we were Justified. Done. No going to hell. God no longer sees our sin in the past present or future when determining where we spend eternity, he sees his Son in us. Period. That's the point of justification. It ONLY takes faith. That's the amazing part about grace that it happens "while we are still sinners". Sanctification is an ongoing process of us becoming more and more Like Jesus. I still have nightmares sometimes. Anxiety attacks that I'm going to hell. Maybe a few of you didn't' know that I ever had those but I did. It's been a gnarly last few years...but anyways. I still have those sometimes thinking, nope I screwed up too badly, I had a chance to be saved but I blew it. Or, what if I'm missing something, what if there is something that I haven't done that has been left out and I'm S.O.L.? I mean this is kind of an important thing to get right...you know? This isn't something that you want to, you know, just wing it or just take someone elses word...trust me...Man is Fallible. So when these anxiety attacks some I go back to what I know to be true (something my brilliant sister reminds me constantly to do) What do I KNOW for sure? What is consistent with what I know about Grace and God's work in MY life? God is Love, Faithful, Forgiving, Perfect, God sent his Son to die, and the Bible says that we are justified by Faith. Period. Whatever else happens after that isn't the point, we are Justified by Faith. And I can stand in his grace with That and Only that to hold on to till the end of my days and after.

5. Jelly Beans - Are so yummy, but seriously if they are the gourmet kind then I need the map. I Don't like mixing flavors that just don't go together and I REALLY don't like thinking I'm getting a Coconut and ending up with a Buttered Popcorn. I really like the super cheap barely flavored sugary gummy kind that is found around Easter time. They are delightful.

6. Juice - particularly Guava Juice - it's my favorite, its pink, it's yummy and it makes me feel exotic.

7. Jamba Juice - oh on hot summer days this is a lifesaver. And they were a great place for my sister Charity to work for a while.

8. Jessie - My stepsister that is moving in with Mom and Tim on Tuesday! I am so thankful for her and her baby daughter Olivia. I hope that we can be close and I Adore Olivia who is the most giggly one year old I ever met. You walk into the room and her smile and laugh and hug just absorbs you! I am so excited for her to constantly be in my life!

9. Journey - Don't Stop Believin'! OK not really, I mean I o enjoy a Journey song but I'm talking about literal and metaphorical journeys. Where there is a beginning point and an ending point. Thank you Lord for the journeys you take us on during out lives. May we honor you.

10. Jen - Yes. I must say, I can't let J go by without saying...I don't think I ever met someone like her in my Life. When she came over the first night we hung out just us, we talked until all hours and I...well...I was terrified. We Both Freaked Out, we had shared a little more then was comfortable! But wow, in the Short time we have known each other I have been blessed and challenged in so many ways. Thank you Lord for Jen Brown, may you bless her and guide her to Love you, others, and grow more like you every day. Amen! (Happy Birthday Jen!)

Ten on Tuesday - I (I can't believe how behind I got on these!)

1. Independence –the opposite of being controlled by anything. Control by choice is very different.
2. Intergalactic – it’s the only way to travel!
3. Ice Cream – Oh boy oh boy I love love love Soy Ice cream!
4. Inspector – Gadget, Clouseau doesn’t matter I love mysteries. I love reading them and watching movies about them. Even the old 80’s one’s like Colombo, Murder She Wrote, and Hart to Hart.
5. Interesting – I use this word too much. Well, I used to use this word too much…now use the word “delightful” too much. I wonder if this work feels neglected? But I like this word. It’s handy.
6. Imagination – Where would we be without it? Let’s imagine… :)
7. Interdisciplinary – This is what I graduated with. I am very thankful for it because I don’t know that I would have bothered to graduate if I had to work much harder at something else. Sad to say but that’s probably true.
8. Inch-ah-lot-ah – I went to a Mothers and daughter camp with my Mom when I was about 9. They asked “What is your favorite meal that your Mom makes?” And this is what I wrote. I had no clue how to spell “enchilada”. I couldn’t figure it out of the life of me. So I’m thankful for my Mom’s patience with me in not laughing too hard when trying to read my writing.
9. Intercosticlavical – I’m truly not sure how to spell that. But it’s the type of bone that they talk about in Bringing Up Baby. I love that movie. I Really do think I could just watch old movies for the rest of my life if I needed to and be perfectly content. The wit, the glamour, the art. They are just up my alley.
10. “I love you” – The most amazing phrase ever. The only way that we can love is through the Love He has shown us. Praise God that He first Loved us.

Ten on Tuesday - H (Hope-ing to Catch Up by Next Tuesday!)

1. Hope – And Hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
2. Heaven – Where the streets have no name. I look forward to Heaven…some days more anxiously then others!
3. Handel’s Messiah – Love it love it love it. It’s like the ultimate rejoicing, especially the Hallelujah chorus. It’s not really Christmas until it’s played and sung to.
4. Holidays – I love Holidays, anything the gets family together to hang out and play together
5. Harry Connick Jr – Such a dreamy voice. I’m so glad music like this still exists and didn’t die with Sinatra.
6. Hotels – I am so thankful for hotels. It’s like one of my favorite things to do, I don’t care if I’m staying in the same city I live in, it’s always a treat to get to stay in a hotel. Thank the Lord of simple pleasures like that.
7. Hair – I think hair is a fascinating invention…I mean who but God would think of it? And create all different kinds and textures for different purposes?? Brilliant!
8. Help – When I was little I loved to “help” the grownups as much as I could. I remember not really being much of a help but I still loved to do it. Now a days…I still do. Makes me feel good. I love it that God allows us to “help” even though he can get his will done without us just fine.
9. Harry Potter – Great books! So entertaining and helps to build and stretch the imagination J
10. Hugh Laurie – He is brilliant. From P.G. Woodehouse’s Bertie Wooster to Dr House. He is a great actor, very entertaining!

Ten on Tuesday - H, I

inspired by A.C.
I Hope to get these lists done before it's time to do J
...Thank you - Red

Ten on Tuesday - G (a week late and quite a few dollars short)

1. Gideon- Love those people that put the bibles in the Hotel rooms. I mean I don’t know much about their theology, but Bible in hotel rooms always seem like a great idea!

2. Gollum- Love love love the two characters in one that Tolkien portrays in Gollum and Smeagol. I mean seriously who doesn’t identify with him at some point in the books/movie? It’s an incredible way of looking at oneself.
3. Grace- Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing. (Eph 2:7-10 the message)
4. Guitars- There is something about a simple song played on a guitar that moves me quite deeply.
5. Glendale- I’ve spent many a lovely time in Glendale AZ.
6. Geronimo- I love things that people say that I have no idea why we say them. Why yell Geronimo when you jump off of something. Really the only reason I know of is because that is what they do in commercials.
7. Gremlins- the first gory movie I ever saw. I Loved it!
8. Giraffe- if you haven’t had a chance to see them in real life, do. They are so amazingly beautiful and so graceful, like magic.
9. Guinevere – The most beautiful and princess-ly name ever.
10. Gary- There once was a man named Gary, who gave me some very bad advice. But I listened to it and followed it because it was exactly what I wanted to hear at the time. Well in one moment he, maybe even unknowingly, gave me the perfect advice that changed my life around completely. And for that I will always Praise the Lord for Gary.

How often...

...do I feel so deeply about so many different things all at once? At times I simply exhaust myself...

This morning so far I have laughed, cried, sobbed, and sighed with contentment...I have felt joy, pain, disappointment, and sadness.

I see so much of myself in Nate and Lucy sometimes. They can go through the entire spectrum of emotions in only a few moments. I, in all of my years of growth and maturity, do the same at times.

Lord,
Thank you for being the stability in my life. That even when my emotions feel out of control I do not need to fear. You have everything in your hands. May I always submit and surrender all I am, do, say, and feel, to you.

Growing

God doesn't expect us to have everything figured out, all he wants is for us to daily grab his hand and say "Daddy? I have a question."