Monday, October 31, 2005

Overheard coming out of my daughter's mouth...

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You hope that your children internalize the things you try to teach them...but you don't know for sure...until, that is, you overhear them say something like this:

"I just don't get why (name witheld to protect a friend) didn't study for her test?! When I have a test coming up it just doesn't feel right to be watching TV or playing if I haven't studied."


Not bad for 10:)

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Encounter

Encounter was very good tonight. I think I finally let God begin to break through what I've been carrying as we sang 'Blessed be the name'. In the message, the image of hands really spoke to me...

It Depends on Whose Hands It Is In

A violin in my hands will make a screechy
noise

But a violin in a musician's hands will play
a masterpiece.

It all depends whose hands it's
in.


A basketball in my hands is worth about
$29.95

A basketball in Michael Jordan’s hands is
worth about $33 million
It all depends whose hands it’s in

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6
A baseball in Mark Mcquire’s hands is
worth $19 million
It all depends whose hands it’s in

A tennis racket
is useless in my hands
A tennis racket in Pete Sampras’ hands is a Wimbledon
Championship
It all depends whose hands it’s in

A rod in my hands
will keep away a wild animal
A rod in Moses’ hands will part the mighty sea
It all depends whose hands it’s in

A sling shot in my hands is a
kid’s toy
A sling shot in David’s hand is a mighty weapon…
It all
depends whose hands it’s in

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands
is a couple of fish sandwiches…
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God’s
hands will feed thousands
It all depends whose hands it’s in

Some mud and some spit in my hands makes a
mud-pie

But some mud and spit in Jesus' hands
restores sight to the blind

It all depends whose hand it's
in


Nails in my hands might produce a
birdhouse
Nails in Jesus’s hands will produce salvation for the entire world
It all depends whose hands it’s in


I have no idea who first penned this. I first heard it tonight from an African-American preacher in a film clip. It appears that he added several examples that weren't in the original version I found as I googled it just now, so I added those in from my memory of his words. The message I heard tonight was to put everything in His hands so that we can take our empty hands and lift them up to him and point to His power and His goodness. It's all better in His hands. The only hand we can give Him is ours pointing to Him.
The Truth IN Love

Oy, what a day, what a week I've been having?! So I just pressed pause for a moment and got myself a Starbucks and did a little catching up in the blog world. ...And I came upon this post of what it means to speak 'the truth in love'. Now, I don't know the writer, but she is on several of the blogrolls of people I do know, and what she wrote really resounds with me on this matter...here's an excert:


"Many times when a person evokes or employs "truth in love," the emphasis is placed more on the truth aspect of the message than the love. But that's not how the sentence itself is structured -- truth is in love, inside of it. Love is what is encompassing it, surrounding it -- which should effect how this truth is delivered.

Which leads me to my problem. Whenever I see an
injustice in the world, I want to remedy it ... but remedying it doesn't mean emphasizing what I see as the truth at the expense of love.

Anyone that knows me knows that I'm big on accountability. There are few things I despise
less than someone who's a hypocrite -- saying one thing, while intending (or doing) another. My drive for accountability needs to be balanced with a drive
for showing love -- or compassion (not pity) -- for whoever my opponent is. This is huge!

Both of these elements -- accountability and compassion -- have to be a part of my approach. Without accountability, my compassion could easily
slip into condoning of actions and a general sense of apathy to what is right and wrong. Yet without compassion, my drive for accountability (and justice) is
useless, because it gets me nowhere"

From grrrlmeetsworld.com



Now there's some truth IN love!

Friday, October 21, 2005

Sherri Needs...

As I was checking out some other blogs today, Christy had posted this little exercise. I found some of her results funny, so I tried it myself. Here are the instructions: "Go to Google and in quotation marks put your name and needs. Example if your name is Fred put "Fred needs" and press enter. Then share the 5 funniest hits."

I'm sharing the top hits in the order they came up...it's eerie how google knew the kind of week I've been having?!

  • Sherri needs prayers
  • Sherri needs a break
  • Sherri needs to learn that they are not "wrong" and there are a multitude of ways of reading it
  • Sherri needs support now
  • Sherri needs to duck out
  • Sherri needs a year off also
  • Sherri needs to explore technology
  • Sherri needs to sneak out too
  • Sherri needs her bandmates
  • Sherri needs to forget the world
  • Sherri needs to talk
  • Sherri needs to stay in the corner before she gets hurt
...and my personal favourite...
  • Sherri needs much Marketing at this point anyway.

Monday, October 17, 2005

Work continues to be full of pressure and stress these days...your prayers are so appreciated!

For a break, I took a couple of quizzes about career and personality while I ate my lunch...

...and how I became a CA, still remains a mystery to me?!
Your Career Type: Social
You are helpful, friendly, and trustworthy.
Your talents lie in teaching, nursing, giving information, and solving social problems.

You would make an excellent:

Counselor - Dental Hygienist - Librarian
Nurse - Parole Officer - Personal Trainer
Physical Therapist - Social Worker - Teacher

The worst career options for your are realistic careers, like truck driver or farmer.


What? ...no accountant on that list?! Shocking!! (I remember one personality quiz I took a while back that actually suggested that the last thing I should be is an accountant or finance manager! ...things that make you go, hmmm!)
Your Personality Is
Idealist (NF)


You are a passionate, caring, and unique person.
You are good at expressing yourself and sharing your ideals.

You are the most compassionate of all types and connect with others easily.
Your heart tends to rule you. You can't make decisions without considering feelings.

You seek out other empathetic people to befriend.
Truth and authenticity matters in your friendships.

In love, you give everything you have to relationships. You fall in love easily.

At work, you crave personal expression and meaning in your career.

With others, you communicate well. You can spend all night talking with someone.

As far as your looks go, you've likely taken the time to develop your own personal style.

On weekends, you like to be with others. Charity work is also a favorite pastime of yours.

Sunday, October 09, 2005

Happy Thanksgiving!

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I Am Blessed

I had a hard time going to sleep last night...you see, I kept replaying in my mind all the things that need to get done at work. Things would be busy no matter what this time of year, but add to that the fact that two of my staff are off sick and what lies ahead of me next week is daunting... And yesterday I learned that my IS Manager will be off for at least another week, if not two (his situation has gotten worse).

Now my heart and prayers just go out for these people who are off sick and that tops my list of concerns right now. But I also can't help but feeling overwhelmed and that there is no way that I can do all that I need to get done next week...in particular, handling all the technical things that must be done in the IS Manager's absense (especially with my current workload). Please pray.

So in the midst of this, the Thanksgiving sermon I heard last night told me to find the blessing in the midst of this current struggle, and trust me, I am looking it, so I'm pausing for a moment to list out all of the things I'm thankful for right now:

- God's grace and love.
- My handsome husband whom I adore and how he love me.
- Our daughter and how her character is growing.
- Our health.
- Our extended family and the fact that most of us can see each other this Thanksgiving.
- Friends who have been so there for me.
- Our home.
- That we have jobs.
- Amanda's school and the friends that God has drawn to her.
- A new small group.
- Tea ...I think I'll go and have a cup before I get into my 'to do' list today:)

Sunday, October 02, 2005

Tagged

Donna tagged me to go through my blog archives, find my 23rd posting and to paste the 5th sentence from it below. Here it is....

"I have so many memories of hours upon hours spent playing and imagining!"

Now I'm to tag 5 others to do the same...so here's the list:
Jackie R., Carrie C., Gloria R., Arilee H. and Cathy J. If you are reading this and are so inclined, what is the fifth sentence of your 23rd post? (Participation is completely optional:)

Saturday, October 01, 2005

Well, I made it through the inventory count!! ...enough said (I do believe that work has taken up more than its fair share of time already this week).

Les is at work and Amanda is at Grandma's, so I had the house to myself to do my workout this morning, then I showered and headed out to get my hair cut. I love getting my hair cut, I'm not sure why? It could have something to do with the fact that I enjoy spending time with my hairdresser or the fact that it feels so good to have her massage my head or just that right now I feel pretty:) Whatever it is, I'll take it!

There sure is a fall chill in the air today, so I'm off to make some macchiato's for Les when he gets home! Enjoy the falling leaves:)

Saturday, September 24, 2005

Three Wishes

Les and I taped the premier of this show last night. Then we watched it together after his evening shift, and we both loved it! In truth, I was in tears more than once during the show, touched and moved by the personal stories that were told. I think what encouraged me most was seeing everyday-folk be inspired and join in in reaching out to one another:)

Grant's Wish
"It's a teaching tool," Grant says. "Yes, it's a television show, and we are using network dollars, sponsorship dollars, to do a good thing for people. But we live in an age where
people are not connecting the way they used to, not meeting each others' needs
on a basic level. My hope, when I first went to NBC -- I just said I hope that
people see this show and feel inspired to reinvest. That's my hope, that people
are re-energized."


After shooting several episodes, the recording artist and TV host says she has already seen that hope realized, to some extent, just among the people she and her team have met in the towns the show has visited. While only three wishes are chosen for each town out of however many hundreds or thousands are presented, Grant says many times other wishes get granted off camera and behind the scenes, as a result of people
coming together to share their needs. "

Monday, September 19, 2005

Weekend Update

Friday was the third anniversary of the day my amazing husband proposed to me! :) And so we got a sitter and had a date-night to celebrate! Les took me to see the premiere of Just Like Heaven followed by macchiato's at Starbucks and book-browsing at McNally's...an awesome date-night if I do say so myself!! When I saw the previews for the movie, I was a little unsure about whether I wanted to see it. On the one hand, it was a romantic comedy (my favourite type of show!), but on the other hand, the previews seemed to suggest it somehow dealt with the issue of the afterlife in a way that I may possibly object to. As it was the premiere showing, there was no way for me to check out what others thought, so we just gave it a shot and went to the movie. And I'd have to say that it was one of the best movies I've seen in a while! It wasn't a typical, predictable story, it had some interesting twists and turns. And in the end, yes, I was in tears (as is often the case with a good love story...*sigh*) You can check out Carolyn Arends' review of the movie here if you're interested.

Saturday, we had Amanda's friend, Steph, over for a play-date and supper and then we all headed off to Church for the carnival. Amanda and her friend had a blast!

Then on Sunday we went to my inlaws for lunch and then out to Bridge City Speedway to see this year's championship races! It's been a long time since Les had a weekend off like this and we were able to do so much together...I loved it!

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Jewels

Most people who know me personally have heard me talk at one time or another about the 'jewels' God gives me. Sometimes they have been rewards for obedience and sometimes (often) they have been completely unmerited on my part. All of the time though they are affirmations of His love. I confess though that sometimes when I don't slow down my life enough I miss out on seeing His hand on me in that way. That's something I feel I need to confess today.

Roses in my heart is the name of this blog, but it really falls out of a much bigger story that has to do with God's woo-ing of me, and how many times He's shown me His love through roses, a jewel that so hits this romantic heart of mine. I don't have the time to tell the full story here, but let me just give you a bit of background. You see, when I was a single girl, before God "turned my waiting into dancing", He used to send me roses regularly. Many of my married friends would even comment to me that although I was single I received them more often than any of the married women they knew! God knew this over-romantic heart of mine though and He knew just how to woo me. Roses have had a big significance in that...not only the receiving of them, but the learning through them, the experiences in gardens, etc.

Flash forward a few years and I'm a wife and a mother and He has given me so much more that I could even ask or imagine. But in truthfulness, I'd have to say that I don't have much time for myself these days and this week has been an even bigger example of that. You see, work is very hectic right now. And when extra is called for at work, I usually end up not taking proper lunches or breaks because I can't just stay late every day like I would when I was single. I have a daughter to be home for after school and a husband who works shiftwork. Well, without going to all the details, let's just say that this week I was running day and night and the lack of down time was definitely wearing on me.

My plans for this evening were to race home from work (I had to leave before a meeting I was part of even came to end), heat up the supper I prepared the night before and wisk Amanda off to her worship dance class all by 5:15 (Les is working this evening). Then while she was dancing, go to the store and pick up the things we need around the house (you would not believe how much milk we go through?!)

Anyway, so as not to make a long story too much longer, let me tell you God's plans for me tonight... get my attention after dropping Amanda at dance, woo me to Starbucks and treat me to a carmel macchiato (no fat and no sugar) and an almond biscotti (which was even balanced carb-wise) with a Mary Engelbreit magazine and some time alone to just relax. As I dipped my biscotti in my coffee it dawned on me how many free Starbucks treats I seem to get these days (all with their own stories) and I saw God's fingerprints all over it! What I need is some down time from time to time and God, knowing what I need, has been wooing me this way. What a jewel?!

Well Amanda's off to bed now, I've done some laundry and finished my workout, but rather than just quickly wash off and get back to the laundry I'm going to linger a bit longer and have a bubble bath right now and enjoy what I am learning. I feel a bit guilty though, did I mention that I forgot to pick up the milk?!! Oh well, hopefully there's enough there to get us through breakfast! I won't think about that right now though, I'm just going to get my tea, some candles and some bubbles. G'night y'all:)

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Starbucks is on my side:)

Work has been crazy busy for too many reasons for me to go into here, but let's just all agree that I deserved the Starbucks I treated myself today, ok?! So I'm working away, sipping my Starbucks when the inspirational saying on the cup catches my eye:

The Way I See It #63
"Our lives are inspired by the dreams we have from the earliest stages of our youth. When you combine passion and hard work, then success is always possible. While no road is ever straight, dedication and persistence will always lead you toward your dreams."

Add in about faith, God's will and prayer, and that pretty much sums up the essence of what we try to teach Amanda. See, Starbucks is on my side, now if I could get the teachers there!

_____
OK, I can't end this post without making sure that anyone reading this blog knows that on most things I have total respect for ALL of the teachers Amanda has had. They have all been gifted educators with a heart for children and learning, so if I come off as though I'm dissing them, I'm not, it's just this candy-method and over-rewarding expected behavior that I question. But let me just say that being a teacher must be such a tough job these days and I SO admire those doing it. It was my dream growing up, so I will always have such a soft spot for teachers:)
Royalty Trumps Conspiracy!

Yesterday during handwriting class, Amanda's teacher told Amanda that she was "the Queen of handwriting" as she passed by her desk and reviewed her work, and then, in front of the whole class, she said, "Yes, when Amanda was first born, I'm sure her mother held her in her arms and looked into her eyes and said, 'you will be a Queen I tell you, the Queen of handwriting!' " Evan, the often teasing boy who sits beside Amanda, grabbed her book to see for himself, and then he affirmed, "You are! You are the Queen of handwriting!"

Amanda beamed when she told me about this this morning. I, of course, confirmed that she does have beautiful handwriting, to which she replied (unaware of my blog-post from yesterday), "Mom, when the teacher called me the Queen of handwriting that was way better than getting candy!" I, of course, agreed....you see, royalty does trump conspiracy with my daughter:)

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

It's a Conspiracy!

In our home, we try so hard to make healthy choices for our family and set a good example for our daughter when it comes to eating and exercise, hoping that one day she will choose so on her own. We don't obsess about this, but we do try and live it out... And this means that Amanda doesn't get candies and chocolate bars EVERY day. Those are once-in-a-while treats. Oh trust me, she gets plenty of her favourite things, but in moderation, and we really try to make sure that she doesn't get a message that 'food is love'. We'd rather her feel loved by the way we care for her each day...the time we spend together as a family (special times and just every day times like supper at the table together every night or prayers together before bed every night), words of affirmation and love spoken consistently and often lavishly, and the way we serve each other as a family. But tonight I've decided that the rest of the world is all against us! Look at the teachers for one, they reward everything and anything they can throughout the day with candy and chocolate bars, and the Church is even in on it too?! I wish they would think about the message that this is sending. I mean, often they reward what should be expected behavior (like listening when the teacher is talking) with extra candy, and I just really think that food as a reward on a repeated basis sends a dangerous message. Is it just me, or do you worry about this too?

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Oooh this looks so good! I'm going to have to go out and get my copy this weekend:)
Sunrise Apples

It is officially autumn! I found sunrise apples in the grocery store this week. These are my favourite!! Juicy, soft, sweet apples that I can only find in the store for a short time each fall. Why, oh why, can't we have sunrise apples all year?!

Monday, September 05, 2005

Rainy Day Treat

It was a rainy and cooler day today. Les was up before six and off to work. I did my workout and a bit of scrapbooking (since the housework had already been done this weekend:) Amanda and I hung out and talked about books she's reading and ways we could redecorate her room. Then this afternoon, we had her friend Britney over for a play-date, and now, over two hours later, I still hear their excited voices creating new story-lines for their Beanie Boppers to act out! Those giggles and gushes are music to my ears:)

Amanda's having a friend over also meant a bit of time to myself for me - because they always play so well together, so I decided to do some experimenting and make a treat for when Les came home from work. There seemed to be a bit of a chill in the air, so I thought I'd try something hot...too bad Starbucks isn't closer, I thought, I could get us some Carmel Macchiato's. Well, since it was pouring out and I didn't want to drag out my two girlies who were so happily playing, I set up the kitchen to try and make my own macchiatos...and they turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself:) ...so here's the recipe:


Carmel Macchiato's a la Sherri (good, but not as good as Starbucks, of course:)

vanilla syrup (we have the sugar free from Starbucks)
skim milk
espresso (I brewed half a pot of Starbucks expresso beans in my coffee pot...double strength)
carmel sauce

In each mug, put 1 tablespoon of sugar free vanilla syrup. Boil some skim milk in the microwave while the coffee is brewing. Use a milk frother (my latest purchase from IKEA!) in the the boiled milk when you take it out. Pour one cup of steamed milk into each mug. Use the frother in each mug to mix the milk with the vanilla syrup. Spoon some milk foam on top of milk mixture in each mug. Pour 1/2 cup of espresso in each mug over the milk mixture...the foam will rise to the top. Drizzle a bit of carmel sauce on top and enjoy! ...Les & I sure did this afternoon:)

Espresso beans from Starbucks - FREE
Milk frother from IKEA - $1.99
Enjoying a rainy day treat in the arms of my husband - PRICELESS!!