pink + orange

faithfulness

Have been touched this week by the lyrics in the song "Say Amen" by Finding Favour. It's a great reminder that no matter what we go through, God is faithful, and He can provide joy in the midst of sorrow.

 

Turns out..giving up cable t.v. and the pricey gym was a good thing!

Turns out.... giving up cable TV and the expensive gym was a good thing!

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 Today at 5:01pm | Edit Note | Delete

I was hanging out with one of my favorite girls from church - talking about our weeks - and I was telling her about how it seemed (no..I KNOW) God wanted me to give up two things: cable TV (gasp!) and the Y (what? no more classes in the pool?)...

but the reality is... cable TV was $60 a month and the gym was $61 for one person (don't get me started on how a FAMILY membership is a mere $19 more than a single membership at the Y).

so for months, literally, I felt I should give up "cable TV + the gym".

I resisted.

And resisted.

ACTION #1: Finally - not so much out of Total Obedience (obviously) I realized "hello..I don't channel surf when I watch TV. I turn on the TV, check the recorded show list - my To Watch list - and watch something"... so I realized no cable TV would barely make a dent on me and I could watch shows via hulu.com and the networks. So i turned in my cable box. The thing I've missed most about my DVR/cable TV was that the DVR was my CLOCK in the living room..central to my entire apartment. I would glance it all day/night just to check the time. So I don't miss my $61/month clock.

BLESSING #1: I watch maybe one show every other night but I've had time and peace of mind. (this is so NOT a commercial for giving up cable TV)... I get home, I putter around - doing dishes or laundry, reading more, without a To Watch on the DVR list over my head. Nights and weekends feel so much more relaxed and full now and PEACEFUL. (shoot..I shouldn't "shout" PEACEFUL)


ACTION #2: The Gym. $61 is a lot of money a month... and I procrastinated on giving it up. then I was sick and couldn't work out. turns out, I'll survive without the Y. (again, not total obedience to God but out of "oh yeah!" moments which is probably how God works too). So it seemed I could survive without my expensive gym.

Then we had a work meeting with a rep from the insurance company. He was SO great..and also was a TWIN for the guy in Princess Bride who says "INCONCEIVABLE!!". 

So Princess Bride Insurance Guy speaks for an hour and I'm engrossed in his speech. He is there to help the employees get the most out of our insurance. and you guys know I've needed the health care system these past three months. (bronchitis, pneumonia, etc.)

He showed us how to get cheaper prescriptions, how to "work the system" so to speak but also talked about a HEALTH CLUB MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT. What did I hear?

BLESSING #2 Yes..if I would go 12 times/month to a participating gym, I'd get $20 back into my checking account from the health insurance company via the gym.... win-win situation. better health by working out AND better balance in the checking account.

AND I'm switching to Curves which cost $34/month. with the reimbursement for each month that I would go 12 times, my cost is $14 a month. FAR CRY from $61 a month. (and I love Curves. I went for two years when living in San Francisco and loved getting stronger and leaner!)


So I tell all this to molly (a shorter version, of course) and while speaking about it, we both realize that maybe, JUST MAYBE, when God asks you to give up something, maybe he has something better for you.

All I know is... my expenses are now less each month and the niggling nudges (ha!) from the Holy Spirit are gone about those two things. And I'm happier. WHAT? Joy comes with obedience???? 


:)

(reprinted from my facebook page to share with you here)

Hello, March!

image by sunnygirlwi:  Megan & Kime, two leaders during quiet time at a leadership retreat in January

It has been awhile.  Months, I know.  Maybe you can relate, but I've been in a bit of a fog.  Caught a cold Christmas Day - which turned into bronchitis.  And then became this sinus thing that just won't go away - sleep has been a challenge, I've then been in a fog and sleepwalked through my days at work and nights at church doing youth ministry.   Just haven't been 100%.

I'm on a 10 day break from youth ministry, just to have some time to recover physically and emotionally and I have to say spiritually as well.  I chose a Psalm to contemplate during this break time and it may well be a new life Scripture. (I put some verses in bold for personal emphasis.)

Psalm 16

 ¹ Keep me safe, O God, 

       for in you I take refuge.

 ² I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; 
       apart from you I have no good thing."

 ³ As for the saints who are in the land, 
       they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight*. ^[b]

 ⁴ The sorrows of those will increase 
       who run after other gods. 
       I will not pour out their libations of blood 
       or take up their names on my lips.

 ⁵ LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; 
       you have made my lot secure.

 ⁶ The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; 
       surely I have a delightful inheritance.

 ⁷ I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; 
       even at night my heart instructs me.

 ⁸ I have set the LORD always before me. 
       Because he is at my right hand, 
       I will not be shaken.

 ⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; 
       my body also will rest secure,

 ¹⁰ because you will not abandon me to the grave, 
       nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

 ¹¹ You have made known to me the path of life; 
       you will fill me with joy in your presence, 
       with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

 

prayer + puppies

 
Last night was Youth Group Wednesday and my group of 15 people had the privilege of praying for the twins you see above (Megan, on the right, had surgery Monday and also the twins' parents are divorcing which has been a really painful process for the girls).   We also prayed for Sierra whose mom has been diagnosed with cancer and the whole family is hurting.

  

 
(It was also "crazy dress up night" which explains some of the costumes you'll see.) 

 

 

 

 
I love, love, love the smile on Sierra's face (she's in blue) as her friends hug her. 

We were also visited by about the cutest puppy in the world...or the building at least. A little something-poo.  I forget.  I just remember the poodle part.  Looks like the black poodle, Perry,  my family had when I was little.   We thought it was a girl but it turned out to be a boy.  Oops.  Here's the girl puppy from last night!

 
 Looks like a little teddy bear here!

I choose to live in apartments where no dogs are allowed but I adore dogs!!  I have to either buy the condo I'm renting - so I can have a little dog there with me... or I have to move apartments.  This puppy's owner will be breeding her at some point and has offered to sell one of the puppies to me...so I have some time to decide about moving or not.  Who wouldn't want a mini-bundle-of-joy like this in their home?!

 
 

Super Service Saturday (S3)

On Saturday, the youth group had 96 students (out of a youth group of 200) involved with Super Service Saturday - where small groups visited group homes, nursing homes, ministries and other organizations to volunteer - while fasting for 24 hours - and then gathering at the end of the day to break the fast together and share stories.

My 8th grade girls are amazing. There are 15 girls in the group and 13 of them showed up to volunteer at the nursing home.  We prayed for two pages of prayer requests from the church, made 50 cards for the nursing home residents, and then shopped for prizes for BINGO as that's the game we led that afternoon.

I'll stop talking and let you see the photos.  

 

 

 

 

Most of us visited Ande in her room (Real Name = Edna...but she goes by Ande which is Edna-backwards!).  She was a high school art teacher and always an artist. She showed us how she creates her watercolor works of art - based on leaves and flowers she collects and dries.  She charmed us all!

Here they are: the 13 girls and 2 leaders!!  Every single one wants to return to the nursing home to volunteer again!

Sierra + Molly - after breaking the fast by eating pizza!

encouraged + prayer

Just received an encouragement via an email from Sweden!  Heidi wrote to say she enjoys my other blog but that in the spam blog entry from September, she saw some people's hands raised in praise and couldn't believe what she was seeing.  Pretty  much she is happy to enjoy my blog and is even happier that we share God in common! 

Here's a photo from the entry she was reading.

Tonight is time for youth group/"cell groups" again.  We're talking about prayer - and I'm sure the girls in my group will have a lot of questions.  I know I've had concerns with: unanswered prayer, how often to prayer, how to pray (prayer etiquette personally, with others and in church), and what to do if God seems to be saying "no".  

Hopefully I'll be back here soon with photos of the night and also a report from the deep discussions that will take place this evening.

Till then,

God be with you.

~ l.a.

answer to prayer

Am thankful. There's a medicine I need that's expensive...so my doctor has me use the free samples his office gets. So for 18 months I've gotten the medicine for free. This week his practice moved to a new building and the nurses told me they left the samples of the medicine I need - at the old office. The nurse called in the prescription which I discovered was over $100 for 30 days' worth and not in my budget to afford! 

I told four friends who immediately began praying for me. In two days, I made four phone calls to the doctor's office. I had been willing to pay for one week's worth if they could call in a smaller prescription for me, but it turns out that wasn't necessary. By the end of the second day, the nurses had found three weeks' worth of the medicine for me, and I raced over to pick up the samples.

I know that I had to do my part (ask for prayer, pray, make the phone calls) and that God wasn't going to shower the medicine down like rain (although wouldn't that be fun?!). I'm thankful that He provided for me this week!

things on earth

It's been awhile!  Let's not think about how  it's been months. I'm here now!   Lots has happened...good and bad and challenging.  So the verse I'm mulling over today is:

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.  (Colossians 3:2, NLT)

I included a photo of my niece above because it's what's important:  people not things.  I'm investing my life in my family, the youth group kids, people from church, friends and coworkers.  That's far more important than things that work or don't work in my life (an older car that wants  to fall apart, etc.).

prayer

Here's my verse for today: Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy. (Philippians 1:4, NLT) It's true! I consider it a privilege to pray for friends, family and others....with joy.

conflicts + emotions

Dear Diary,

it's 11:30 PM, and I cannot sleep.  I was on vacation until two days ago and did not get much sleep or drink much water the entire trip...thus I arrived home feeling miserable and have been sleep-walking through my days.  

Today I found out that a friend had removed me as a friend on Facebook and I overreacted, took it personally, and cried at my desk.  Emailed for an explanation and received a vague "what are you talking about?" reply.  

Then another friend emailed me an hour ago about a situation she'd been struggling with, and it was like God was saying, "See? You two have a lot in common.  Learn from your mistakes and from hers."  (I also felt God telling me to "Get my house in order for the next season of my life" but I don't know what that means and also it could warrant its own diary entry.)

I took a two hour nap tonight which completely throws off any kind of a sleep schedule.  I've begun dreading going to bed at night as sleep evades me and results in a cranky Lea Ann who doesn't "play well with others" as a potential report card would say about me.

The good news is that the trip to California was extremely fun but also a bit of a whirlwind.  As I process the five full days and sort through photos and videos, hopefully I'll find tidbits to save as a record of the trip.  I also vow to return to San Francisco before another four years go by.  

Thanks for listening.  Time to get some sleep.

Nighty night. Don't let the bed bugs bite. 

(WHY do they tell children that before sleep.... just the idea of bedbugs causes my skin to crawl.)