rest of moses' highlights...

i'm in joshua now, but here are some things i liked so far since i talked about genesis...

exodus:

exodus 12 is the passover and exodus 17 is where moses makes water from the rock. both prophesy of jesus. the passover because the blood saved them, just like jesus' blood saves us. and the water from the rock, because john 4:10 says that from jesus comes living water.

leviticus:

lev 15:33 says 'and of her that is sick of her flowers' which i had to look up what it meant...menstual period. i'm sick of my flowers sometimes too. (but i love the other kind of flowers...most all the time).

numbers:

i like numbers 15:39-41...may we always remember where the lord has brought us. just this month i was remember how god sold my house 3 years ago on sept 13. what a miracle that was. what egypt has god brought you out of?

deuteronomy:

god has been teaching me a lot about rest lately. deut 12:10 ...and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety. i'm still listening and still learning...but god gives us rest! the enemy seeks to steal, kill and destroy, but jesus gives us life (john 10:10). and in deut 20:4 it says 'for the LORD yoru god is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.'

before leaving town...

drop sunny off at denise's house....check

pack henry's food and some toys for buscuit's house....check

take out trash...check

water plants...(wait they are almost dead anyway...plan to buy new plants when i get back!)

pack for kansas city...check (only 2 carryons this time...i packed light!)

go by target to get a 'surprise' for ella and samantha...check (i got them these cute purses and filled them with lots of cute things like halloween socks, stickers, stuffed animals, etc)

print boarding pass....check (i got this awesome seat...1A, usually reserved for special flyers but it let me have it! sweet!)

stress about what i must be forgetting...chhh- well not yet, but it's only 2 days to i'm sure i live without whatever it is for that long!

tennis lesson

i had another lesson this past week and am getting ready to play this fall!

as i was walking out with my coach, he told me that if you can return the ball 6 times, you have a 90% chance of winning the point. i thought that was interesting...all i have to focus on is getting the ball back.

so then i asked him if i has a counter-puncher as opposed to a power player. he just laughed. apparently i'm not good enough to define if i have a stradegy.

he did recommend doing some free weights to increase my arm stregth. not a bad idea...

lazy lake house weekend...

the night before lindsey came over and spent the night and we had tea and sang to songs!

henry enjoying the wind!

hanging out on the boat.

being silly in the lake!

there were 5 dogs there that weekend (sarah has max and my dad has abby, jack, and dixie!)

dixie has her own life jacket!

beautiful sunset. life seems a lot simpler out here.

sarah's boys resting on the couch :)

ahhhh...take me back!

it's been a while since labor day, but these were some pics from the fun, relaxing weekend...

more on relationships...

in answer to your question lauri...

there are three stages of relationships, according to the imago training:

[1] romantic love-
this stage is attraction, infatuation
we see what we want to see
we don't feel pain
we can stay up all hours of the night and not be tired
we feel empowered
like a physical and emotional high (can feel like a drug)
attraction doesn't mean compatibility
it's supposed to end (typically last 9 months)

[2] the power struggle- (kicks in about 12 months)
conflict is growth trying to happen
the 'break up' or the 'break through'
developing trust
you respect differences and realize you both don't necesarily always think the same
when opinions are different
it's supposed to end

[3] reality love or the conscious marriage-
a decision, a commitment, intenional
healthy excitement and passion
don't have to defend yourself all the time
joy comes from supporting each other
based on intimacy
close your 'exits'
should add to your life, should not be too hard
it's not supposed to end

what i learned...

i went to a relationship seminar a month ago by a licensed marriage counselor and really appreciated some of the things the speaker said...

*don't write lists of pros and cons when you like someone. instead come up with where you want to be in 6 mo, 1 year, and in 5 years (and be specific!) what are your passions? that way when you meet someone, you can just see if they match up to what you want to do. this was really brilliant to me, since it's so important not to lose yourself in relationships and this way you figure out what you want first.

*when talking in relationships, work on listening. a good way to show someone you are listening and you understand is to repeat what they are saying back to them. kinda how the waiter repeats your order back to you. it reassures you that they know what you said and are listening. i need to work on this one...

*guys don't have to talk to spend time with you. i learned this by going to the astros game with my brother. we didn't talk but we got to hang out. girls on the other hand looooove to talk. and we feel better after we let it all out.

*sometimes we choose familiar, not functional.

*people who want approval don't get it. people who don't need it, get it.

*the first stage of a relationship is infatuation. this doesn't necessarily mean compatibility. it usually lasts 9 months. the second stage is power struggle, and the third is reality.

*relationship are more like gardens than banks. you can't just put the money in and watch it grow. it takes work and nurturing to keep it up and to keep it growing.

*you can't use relationships to make you feel good. relationships should add to your life. you shouldn't have to defend yourself all the time. joy comes from supporting each other...and really enjoying each other.

*four predictors of divorce: criticism, defensiveness, withdrawal, and contempt

*ask a question back to someone instead of getting defensive. it works!

*you don't have to be 'fixed' to be in a relationship...just need to be on the right path towards healing.

*healthy love allows for individually, brings out the best qualities in both partners, invites growth, accepts limitations of self and partner, has high self-esteem and sense of well-being.

*ask yourself...
do i respect this person? does this person respect me?
can we communicate?
do we compromise? is there give and take?
can i be honest and show my real feelings?
can we both take responsibility for the relationship's successes and problems?
is there room for me to grow and change?
am i able to reach my own goals?
is this person supportive of the kind of changes i am trying to make?
is this person willing to help me?

dog meets bird

my friend needed a home for her bird...and i thought, henry will love it and maybe entertain him some during the day. well, maybe birds and dogs don't really get along very well, but i thought for sure henry would be the one intimidating the bird.

but.....after 48 hours of henry shaking all the time, he finally is now relaxed around sunny. i really like her, and think it's funny how jealous henry is when i go to her cage and feed her or talk to her. he licks my feet and then runs to his bed and looks at me like 'look what a good boy i am.' it's so funny...

so will they be friends...or will sunny drive henry crazy? we will see....

believe!

recently i have been watching the us open...and watching in particular this player melanie oudin. i saw her in a press conference, after beating her 4th russian ranked player, and sometime she said stuck with me (yes i am learning from a 17 year old, but hey!)

she said she believed she could win and she did. she kept winning. i realized that i don't think i can win. i went into every tennis match just hoping to win a game and was sooo excited to win a set. but never expected to win a match. i think i was afraid to win. that might sound silly, but i am starting to see the competitive mental game that is played out in tennis....

and not just in tennis, but in the world. you have to believe you can get somewhere or do something before you can do it. i know i've heard this before, but it really stuck because i can relate to tennis. it all starts in our minds! negative thoughts DO affect us and bring us down...and our thoughts become our actions. and you have to want it...badly enough.

so i'm going to start believing i can win this next season in tennis...and i am going to start believing i can be a better doctor. a better friend. a better servant for god's kingdom. believe!

thanks melanie!