Monthly Archives: April 2013

Little Ball of Hate

Jennspeak

Lord,

I am going to be talking just to You in this post. Mostly because You are all good and You love me and are probably the only One who would want to be around me right now.

I know that emotions are transient, and that they, in themselves, are not sinful. It’s what we do with them, right? Well, right now, I am so frustrated. I can’t even point out a particular reason for my extreme frustration, but there it is. And everything seems to be making it worse!

I am trying to be kind and to help others. I don’t want to feel this way.

I am trying to work on my homework for Catechism study tonight. At the end of the section we are to read for today’s lesson, it tells us to read and pray with Psalm 139 this week. So I looked up and read it. It was all about how You know our innermost thoughts. So You already know how tempestuous I am inside this morning.

I know it will pass. I also know that any comfort given by others is not likely to be received well by me at the moment. I am just not very receptive. The last thing I want when I feel this way is for people to be kind or understanding. Why is that? Is it because their kindness points out in even sharper relief the fact that I am feeling anything BUT kindness at the moment?

Please give me Your peace. It’s the only thing that can help. And please help me to see others through Your eyes and to love them with Your love, for my own is very insufficient, especially now.

Thank You for listening to me and being here with me, even when I don’t want to be with myself. I love You.

If the Church Hadn’t Been Locked…

Exciting Adventures of the Everyday

Irony. Sometimes it smacks you in the face. At least it does to me. Just after leaving Gallup Park, I texted a friend and asked (to her and to myself) what other adventure I might run into on my way home.

Well, ask and ye shall receive, right?

So, apparently the virus that I caught wasn’t some simple cold virus, but Ebola or some other hemorrhagic, because as I was driving on the expressway, I started bleeding everywhere. Of course, I didn’t have any Kleenex or napkins in the car. Of course not. Soon all of me is covered in blood and I look like Carrie after the prom.

I figure that I will stop by OLGC and clean up there. I’m not certain that they are open, though, because it’s Easter Week, and they usually take this week off. When I get there, tons of cars are in the parking lot and a lacrosse game is being played on the field. Surely, the church building would be open, right?

I get out of the car and, taking only my keys, walk to the door. I’m trying to be inconspicuous, because all these kids are here and my face, hand, arm — all covered in blood. They don’t need to see that. But the church is locked. Great. Now what?

I try to think of some place on the property that is relatively secluded, so that I can clean up without drawing notice. As I was driving back to the front of the property, I choose behind the garden of Gethsemane, where there’s a bunch of trees and brush on this big island in the parking lot.

Luckily, I had brought my water bottle with me from work and it was nearly full. I had anticipated walking around Gallup Park for a while and being thirsty.

Which brings me to kneeling behind the garden of Gethsemane, using water from my water bottle to try and frantically scrub all the blood off me. So I can look normal again and not like someone from either Rescue-911 or America’s Most Wanted. [Okay, what is it with me and all the pop culture references today?]

And then, I noticed something.

If the church hadn’t been locked, and I hadn’t been kneeling behind the garden of Gethsemane, I might have missed these:

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Cute purple spring crocuses! How pretty!

7 Quick Takes: Sizzurp Edition

7 Quick Takes Friday

— 1 —

First off… I haven’t actually taken any authentic “sizzurp.” If you don’t know what sizzurp is, don’t bother looking it up. You don’t need to know. 🙂 It’s some sort of random stuff including cough syrup that people throw together in order to get high. The reason that this is the Sizzurp Edition, is because I got a cold and bought some Nyquil yesterday. Typically, Nyquil does not make me sleepy or anything, so I take it during the daytime, too.

I took my cough syrup as I was heading out the door to work, hoping that it’s “6 hour” time frame would last for the majority of the work day. Then, I stopped at Caribou for a bit of espresso-based goodness. Shortly after getting to work, I started to feel … odd. Dizzy, lightheaded, couldn’t think too well. I had been listening to “Like a G6” in the car on the drive in, so I couldn’t help but thinking that the combination of my espresso and my cough syrup in my tummy had some sort of weird effect.

— 2 —

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and I am starting to feel normal again. It is Payday Friday, so our group at work has decided to order out from Applebee’s today. I *did* bring my lunch, but appetizers sounded better to me, so I will be munching on Chicken Wonton Tacos and such. Be jealous. 🙂

— 3 —

My best friend is on an airplane *as I type* heading to Hawaii for about 10 days. I remain here in Michigan. That’s all I have to say about that. 🙂

— 4 —

Okay, here is a picture of me when I was in Hawaii… So I guess I can’t be *that* jealous…. 🙂
World's Largest Aloha Shirt

— 5 —

This is one of the most ironic illnesses that I’ve had in a while. Why, you ask? Well, because I woke up Monday morning and felt great. I mean, amazingly well. I had energy and actually bounced out of bed. I felt so good that I texted my priest/friend about it (because I thought he deserved some good news after years of praying for me and my health). And then… by that evening… I got a sore throat and knew that a full-on cold was just a morning away.

I refuse to let this get me down, though! As much as I hate (and whine and complain about) colds! I will cling to the memory of that brief, perfect morning and hope that I may have another sometime in the future!

Enjoy your blessings, friends! For whatever duration God decides to bestow them upon you.

— 6 —

It is still cold outside, but it’s bright and sunny here today. So, I have hope that spring and warmth will eventually make it to my part of the world. And I cannot be happier about that! 🙂 I really want to go out and do some outdoorsy stuff. So, if you happen to have any plans of that nature, please invite me along! 🙂

— 7 —

I have only got a few hours left… Until the official start of the weekend. And I realize that I don’t have any plans. Okay. I *did* have plans to spend tomorrow with some friends, but the plague that I have caught seems to have scared them off. I don’t get it. Who wouldn’t want to have themselves and all of their 5 children infected with a cold virus? Alas, I am back to the drawing board. Suggestions welcome. And since a friend has posted that “resting” isn’t actually in a sick person’s best interest, I will try to avoid that as best as I can!

A joyous weekend to all!

God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at Conversion Diary!

April and Jack Night!

Exciting Adventures of the Everyday, , , ,

Ok, so I was too busy enjoying the company of my friends to take any photos. Sorry! You’ll just have to use your imagination here. 🙂

Last night, April and Jack came over with a surprise dinner. All I had to do was pre-heat the oven as they were leaving their house. We had a delightful lasagna, which was stuffed with all kinds of veggies. It was quite possibly the best veggie lasagna that I’ve had! 🙂 And a simple salad with yummy bread.

I regaled them with some of the many, many stories that I have, but some of the best times were between dinner and dessert, where we ventured into the backyard…

… and they discovered the trampoline!

We all took turns bouncing the others and as a grand finale, April jumped off the trampoline into Jack’s waiting arms! 🙂 Because we have the mad skillz and are wicked awesome like that.

Even though Spring has not yet fully arrived (or so it seems), we already are dreaming of Summer, where we can have sleepovers on the trampoline, play in the sprinkler and have bonfires in the backyard! It will be lovely!

We finished the night with April’s dessert: chocolate pudding, graham cracker and marshmallow-y goodness!

Jack was getting tired by the end of the night and ended up sprawled out on the futon at one point. Which just shows me that we are going to be excellent friends. 🙂

Alas, it was a work night and we had to say goodbye far, far too soon!

Come back, come back! As soon as you can! 🙂 Many more adventures to be had! 🙂

Beautiful Day

Easter, Health and Medicine
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What a day to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord! 🙂

I woke up today feeling better than I have in *months* (if not longer)! Thank You, Jesus! I have no idea how long this will last, but I’m not particularly dwelling upon that question, but enjoying this while I can. 🙂 I got out of the door this morning on time and got a mocha from Starbucks. Then, I got to enjoy a beautiful sunrise while getting on the expressway. It was a pale rainbow with mountainous purple-pink clouds. Days like this make me wish I could just stop for a moment and take a picture.

I don’t want to waste this day of feeling well. I want to do everything! But I know that it is precisely this time which I need to give back to the Lord, so that I can use this time of feeling well to do what it is that He would like me to do. What He would have be do is infinitely more important than anything I could fill my day with. So, I prayed this morning on the way in to work and offered my health and my day back to Him. I prayed that I would be able to hear what it is that He would have me do.

I am looking forward to doing the Lord’s work today! 🙂 Thanks be to God!

Blessings on your Easter octave!