I'm back!

So I've been gone for a while... 

You know... this, that and the other have deterred me from posting any blogs recently.  Let me bring you up to speed from greatest of importance to the not so pertinent:

1.  Jim and I are all moved in to the brick house that I posted about a while ago (if you're curious as to why I deleted the post, you'll have to ask me personally...)  It's a lot of work, but really fun, too.  I feel all "wifey".  

2.  We just found out on Thursday that Jim got a job teaching 10th and 11th grade Bible!  He is so incredibly pumped, scared, and thankful.

3.  The air conditioner is out in both of our cars... this really stinks bad.

4.  Dishrag is enjoying his new home atop the piano.

5.   I made homemade peach ice cream for the first time yesterday.  It was deeelicious!

6.  Finally, I'm excited to be back on the blogspot... I've missed it a lot.  

Such a good book!!

    I love to read best-selling fiction and biographies of heroes of the faith.  Recently, Jim and I were browsing the Bob Jones University book store and I found this journal of a young woman's entire life by Elizabeth Prentiss.  

    The girl is a fictional character from the 1800s, but I've read 3/4 of the book thinking that she truly lived and I've decided to finish the book believing that people can really love God as she did.  She is SO transparent and honest, but brash and unforgiving at the same time -- just really real.  I really can't put the book down and would recommend it to anyone.  Here is a quote from the book:

    

    "I see that the Christian life must be individual, as the natural character is, and that I cannot be exactly like Dr. Cabot, Mrs. Campbell, or like Mother, though they all three stimulate and are an inspiration to me.  But I see, too, that the great points of similarity in Christ's disciples have always been the same.  This is the testimony of all the good books, sermons, hymns and memoirs I read - that God's ways are infinitely perfect; that we are to love Him for what He is and therefore equally as much when He afflicts as when He prospers us; that there is no real happiness but in doing and suffering His will; and that this life is but a scene of probation through which we pass to the real life above."

    How good?!?

Poor Dishrag...

    I'm going into maternal mode because our fish, Dishrag Wilberforce Thompson, is very sick.  As you can see by the photo, he has a lesion on his side that's rapidly growing.  He also has some kind of light brown fungus on parts of his skin.  I didn't really start to get worried until I put a lamp over his bowl and really took a good look at him.  

    Up until this point I just made stupid jokes about flushing him down the toilet and saying things like, "Well, it's about time he kicked the bowl!".  For some reason, however, my heart really does hurt for him.  God created Dishrag and, while I don't believe he should have the same inalienable rights that I have, I feel terrible that he's in pain.  

    Jim bought him for me last February when I was going through a particularly severe bout of the Baby Bug.  I really didn't think he'd live for more than 4 months but he's a trooper!  He's part of the family even if he doesn't do anything special like fetch or even show affection.  I think he's beautiful.

    Long story short, I'm going to PetsMart tomorrow to see about some medicine for a $5.00 fish. The meds will most likely cost more than he did.  Any fish advice would be appreciated, too.  I guess I'm just doing my part with the dominion that God has given me over the earth's creatures.  :)

SNOW!!

I'm much like an 8 year old when it comes to snow. I've always lived in South Carolina so when snow does come it's a big, wonderful deal. And yes, even if it's just a half-inch and the entire upstate shuts down, I still get so excited.

It's about 6:00 pm on Thursday, Jan. 16th and WYFF News Channel 4 Chief Meteorologist John Cessarich (I'm a little starstruck) said that the winter weather should come at any time. No more than about an inch and a half, but enough ice to cancel school tomorrow.

I suppose it's the fact that, unlike rain, snow completely transforms the earth when it falls. Sounds are muffled and everything looks clean and new. And when you live in an area where it just melts away and doesn't get all muddy, gross, and in the way, it's so perfect. Having a day off of work isn't too bad either.

Hot cocoa + lots of blankets + watching snow fall outside = one happy, happy Sara.

west palm beach is for lovers...

So I'm here in Florida at my mom and dad's for a few days since we're on holiday. It's absolutely gorgeous weather (low 80's), I sleep in, lay on the white sand with a crossword puzzle, Mama won't let me pay for anything, AND I'm eating like a queen. Best of all, I get to spend some time with my parents whom I've missed so terribly since they've moved. It's pure, unadulterated bliss... except for one thing. Jim isn't here with me.

He's leaving for California with his buds, Andy and Troy, on Saturday and I don't come home from Florida until Sunday so he couldn't do both. It's only been 3 days and I'm seriously asking myself how I'm going to make it until he comes home on the 7th. I didn't realize how intricately my days are woven in and through our relationship.

One of my best friends, Rachel, was just married in October to her husband, TJ. He was deployed to Iraq within the first two weeks of November. She won't see him again until the fall of 2009. Hows that for a little perspective?

12-gauge skeet shot

It is such a cozy, cold, misty, moisty morning out there. I'm still in my robe, sitting in front of the space heater which smells a bit like it needs to be turned down before it melts the rug. My mom and dad arrive tomorrow from Florida for Christmas. It's going to be so good to get together with the fam again. My oldest brother only wanted ammo for shooting skeet and clay pigeons so that's what he got from me. As I carried the 15 pound brick of 12-gauge bullets through the sea of shoppers cutting me off in the "aisle traffic" at Wal-Mart I seriously contemplated throwing handfuls of ammo at everyone around me. Anna (my very best friend) calmly reminded me that they probably wouldn't blow up like I would want them to, just put everyone in even more of a frenzy. The hour and a half wait in line chilled me out.

I think I'll do my Christmas shopping in June next year.