My Life in Pictures

My Life In Pictures

Rules: Refer to the following list of prompts. Go to Google Images, search for your answers. Post.



1. The age you will be on your next birthday:


2. A place you'd like to travel:


3. Your favorite place:


4. Your favorite object:


5. Your favorite food:


6. Your favorite animal:


7. Your favorite color:


8. The town in which you were born:


9. The town in which you live:


10. The name of a past pet:


11. The first name of your present love:


12. An event you'd like to relive:


13. Your nickname:


14. Your first name:


15. Your middle name:


16. Your last name:



17. A bad habit of yours:



18. Your first job:


19. Your grandmother's name:



20. Your major in college:

dreamhome

Okay, I am not gonna lie. I have never been a big fan of the Bible. I know that clearly sounds like heresy, but it's true! I mean, I have had a pure admiration for it, but just never understood it. The Message translation came along and helped a little bit, but by that time I had so much frustration, it was difficult to even pick it up anymore. I have read all kinds of books to help me try to understand Scripture, but have mostly resolved to rely on the holy spirit's guidance much like Christians did before the New Testament was published, or the illiterate Christians Jeane Guyon discipled.
I have read one book recently, however, that has totally changed my perspective of the New Testament. The Untold Story of the New Testament by Frank Viola. It helps me understand the culture, see things through Paul's (and all the 1st century Christian's) eyes, etc. Read with the New Testament, it is very much an impactful narrative that has you in tears by the end. I want to (have to)go back and read it again, and keep going deeper. It's like I just received a degree in New Testament or something. Seriously.



here is fellow blogger, Lionel Wood's, review:
Viola Frank. The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: An Extraordinary Guide to Understanding the New Testament . Destiny Image Publishers , 2005. pp. 208. $10.04
Frank Viola author of Pagan Christianity, Rethinking the Wineskin and now Reimagining Church has provided the Body of Christ a Gem in this work. The book sets out to put the New Testament in Chronological order, filling in gaps, and helping the reader of the New Testament to see, smell, touch and hear what our 1st century brothers and sisters would have experienced during the time the “Church” is being built by Jesus Christ through the work of the Spirit in the lives of the Apostles and others.
The book succeeds greatly at that in my opinion. As I was reading many of the events I had memorized through the book of Acts and the Epistles are displayed in panoramic view. It is like I am there, walking with Paul and Silas, on the ships with Luke and Paul, in Ephesus with Timothy. My heart is burdened with Paul as he writes these letters to the churches he has risked to plant. As the Corinthians reject his apostleship. As the Galatians are hoodwinked by the Judiazers, as the Thessalonians are troubled by those who claim the resurrection has happened, as Titus is struggling to keep the Church at Crete afloat, as John writes to Asia Minor about the “anti-Christs” who have snuck in, as Timothy wants to quit and abandon the gift that he received to continue the work started in him, as Paul writes Philemon about Onesimus and the Colossians about gnosticism and Peter attempts to encourage those who are suffering greatly under the Neroan tyranny. I am there and tears are in my eyes as I am encouraged to see that the same things they struggled with we struggle with.
Frank Viola does an amazing job getting you there and his writing style keeps you captivated. As you go back open your bible to follow the story. You have to keep your bible close by because you will say “I never saw that” and it makes it that much more exciting. You see the Apostolic assistants and church planters write Paul as a wise dad. Paul responds with great insight and wisdom. Which is impossible without the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit. Christ saw this coming and the scriptures are written before your very eyes.
I will say there is much interpretation as the Epistles are written in narrative form. But that was okay for me. I am secure in many of my positions and for those which were challenged I am open to reform. I am pretty sure I will change my position another 100 times before my death and I am secure in the Gospel. But again there is much interpretation in the book so be prepared if you read. Some who read here that are New Testament History buffs may disagree with the chronology of the book and that is okay also.
I recommend this book for EVERY Christian who wants to attempt to understand the New Testament. We see the NT epistles as a response to the maturation of the Church of Christ. We get to understand why Paul tells the Galatians to cut the entire sexual organ off if circumcision is a benefit. We see Paul directing Timothy to sit the women down in Ephesus and Corinth (funny the other churches wouldn’t have known much about this). Once again the book was a gem and I recommend you have this book or something along its line right with your Bible Dictionaries, Greek NT, Concordance and Commentaries.
Author’s Website: http://www.ptmin.org/


By the way, the Viola book, Pagan Christianity, that I set out to read and blogged about forever ago, is awesome too! Such perspective on "church" and Christianity as we know it today, and it will blow your socks off some of the practices we blindly take part in! Actually, quite scary! Definately worth the time spent reading.

5 Loves of January 09

1.) The Flight of the Conchords. Jemaine and Brett are a folk parody group from New Zealand who just landed a new show on HBO that is simply halarious!! I have been a big fan of the show for a long time (since my friend Amy Luster emailed me the youtube of of 'Business Time'), but am so glad they have been reintroduced into my life. I can think of no better way to wind down and waste time than watching Flight of the Conchords.


2.)American Country Countdown. I have been listening on Sundays since I was a little girl. I truely love any music countdown. It just makes me happy.


3.) The Village at Blount Springs. I first entered this wonderful development in middle school. My mom and I toured the Southern Living home. We both fell in love. It's just a beautiful drive through these days for me, and a dream retirement location. But a couple of weeks, my mom and I stopped by again to look around. We let the boys play at the playground with the local kids. What a dreamy place to live!
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5.) Horseback Riding in Bankhead Forest. A picture is worth a thousand words...

Flashback Photo of the Week

 

This is a picture I found from 1980. I'm the baby. That's my Dad. I had to have been days old. Doesn't he look doting? Awh. He had some great leather furniture too...but that's neither here nor there...actually, I think it's long gone to leather furniture heaven...if it was even real leather...where does faux leather furniture go when it's past its expiration date...nevermind...it's not important. Just love finding old pictures and sharing them with the world. Love you Dad!

Hugs and KISSES to you

Make a Smilebox greeting

Peter Rollins coming to Samford

Feb 17-19 Samford University
Emergent Cohort gathering
Pete Rollins primer
Tues Feb 3 J.Clyde 7:00pm

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Tag you're it!

Tag you're it....
.....yes, anyone who reads this and has a blog!

20 Questions:

1. Do you own a box of crayons?
yes, absolutely! i have my own personal box of crayolas and then the kids have thiers, and they are not allowed to use mine!

2. Do you always wear a seatbelt?
Absolutely, no. I am sorry to say. It's a bad habit I got out of 3 pregnancies in a row when it's so uncomfortable to reach back there and put it on. So, purge me! I should be purged!

3. When do you shower most often?
every morning

4. What is the last thing you purchased?
besides a copay at my chiropractor apt, I bought the boys a chunky monkey smoothie from the gym.

5. How often do you remember your dreams?
never ever ever!

6. How do you vent your anger?
yell, cuss, jump up and down, take a deep breath, sometimes talk it out, then let it go.

7. Where were you on September 11, 2001?
I was at home in Birmingham alone watching it on tv. 1 month later or so, I would turn up pregnant. Yep, we got a 911 baby.

8. What is your ringtone?
Anyone else but you from the Juno soundtrack.

9. What is one thing you're looking forward to?
The next part of our home renovation.

10. Do you get eight hours of sleep each night?
absolutely yes.

11. How is your mood today?
Eh. So so.

12. Have you ever changed your clothes in a vehicle?
sure. who hasn't?

13. What is one thing you've learned about life?
Hmmm. That there are very few absolutes and it's better to be a little laid back sometimes.

14. What is something you want to do within the next week?
Scrapbook

15. Do you care what people think of you?
sometimes although I wish i didn't. i try not to.

16. What scent are you wearing right now?
soap and sweat. it's divine!

17. What do you carry with you at all times?
cell phone, wallet, keys. i try to keep my car with me cause everything i need is in there, which isn't very much. i'm pretty low maintenance.


18. What was the last gift you gave someone?
i gave rae a birthday gift this morning. a certificate for us to take a knitting class.

19. What's one car you will never buy?
something boring like a camry or accord. no offense to anyone. actually, it will be difficult for me to ever drive a car again after driving a suv for so long. i am too short ot see well out of it.

20. How much money would it take for you to give up the internet for a year?
maybe 1 million dollars :)

Eurobungee

Run (don't walk) to the Galleria to do the Eurobungee!! I am not going to lie, it's expensive. But an amazing 3 minutes! The boys were absolutely obsessed! And when they insisted, and my dad offered to pay (to see if I had any of my gymnsatics skills left),the next thing I know, I am being strapped in as well. It was thrilling and, Oh my goodness, exhausting. I felt like I had just sprinted a mile afterward. What a workout! But I will definately do it again...and soon...maybe...okay...um... bye, gotta run to the galleria NOW! :)

Grandmothers

Grandmothers.

I have mentioned before, several times, that I love the smell of freshly bathed and lotioned babies, but I swear it never makes the same impact as when they have been bathed by the love of their wonderful grandmothers. Granna uses a great lotion and always warms them up with the blow dryer after they get out of the tub. The result is a baby smell that is just simply magical. Arni uses another kind of amazing smelling baby lotion, but combined with the smell of her freshly laundered (usually footed) pajamas, the smell of babies home from Arni's after bathtime is a smell that will stay with me forever.
There is no doubt that every grandmotherly ritual my children experience comes from a place of the most beautiful love, and I am so blessed to say that my children could not have done better in that department. They will forever know that they were always loved deeply and sacrificially by their grandmothers.

Destin

We spontaneously decided, the night before, to drive to Destin to let our boys see the ocean, since they didn't in 2008. It was a wonderful way to celebrate our love as a family and Blake's 33rd birthday! We also got some great pictures. Thought I would share...

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Flying with the seagulls




Blake's Norweign Man of War. They were everywhere, and apparently sting worse than jellyfish. Luckily, no one had to find out.