three.

word of the day: three \ˈthrē\ the third in a set or series

I wrote a really long anniversary post yesterday but didn't quite get around to finishing.  I went the deep route, per usual, and couldn't bring myself to type up the last few paragraphs today.  Maybe I'll get around to it next week...

In the meantime, I'm feeling nostalgic.  And so, this anniversary post is fairly wordless.  

Three cheers for three years of marriage!  Tune in next week for a more comprehensive reflection. 

success.

word of the day: success \sək-ˈses\ favorable or desired outcome; also : the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence

It has now been a full 24 hours since I have seen a Harry Potter movie.  I haven't been able to say that since last Wednesday.  

Success.

That's right.  Eight Harry Potter movies in four days.  In addition, somehow I managed to reread the last ten chapters of The Deathly Hallows on Sunday alone.  Luck was on my side though because without those two overtimes and my basic indifference to soccer, I don't think it would have been possible.  

I took a few things away from the weekend.  For instance, Butterbeer is pretty tasty, albeit a little rich for more than one glass at a time. I think it was the cream soda.  Or the butterscotch.  Or possibly the combination of the two... 

Ginny doesn't mind scarves.

But, she's not so thrilled when you throw a pair of pipe cleaner glasses in the mix.

However, it makes for a fun picture.

Licorice wands...

...are more fun to play with than to eat or make I think.

Oh and everything's always better when there are really great people involved.

All-in-all, it was a successful weekend.  And, due to my lack of sleep from the festivities and thought-provoking discussions, that's all I've got for tonight. 

book.

word of the day: book \ˈbuk\ 

noun: a long written or printed literary composition 

verb: to schedule engagements for; to set aside time for

I found the following quote the other day on Pinterest (my latest obsession and time sucker):

I get absolutely and undeniably attached to book characters to the point where I cry and laugh with them, and physically miss them when I finish reading the book.

 Have you ever felt that way at the conclusion of a book?  I'm terribly sorry if you haven't.  I finished The Help by Kathryn Stockett today and stared at the last page feeling sad that Aibileen, Skeeter, and Minny were now out of my life.  They had become so real, and I almost didn't want to believe that they weren't.  Their story in its simplest form reminded me to be kind.  At a deeper level, it provoked thought about people in general in a way that I'm still muddling through.  In any case, I really do literally miss those three fictional women.   My only consolation is that we'll meet again when the movie comes out in August.  

If you haven't read the book: read it.  

It's wonderful and disturbing and riveting and beautiful.  

There's only one other book in my library of read books that has elicited a similar response: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling.  She even gave me a "19 years later" epilogue, but I still found myself at a loss knowing that I would no longer get to take part in Harry, Ron, and Hermione's adventures.  Instead, I had to settle for knowing that they all settled down to live ordinary lives.  I am presently feeling that similar sense of disappointment because, as you may know, the final movie hits theaters on Friday.  For the last time, I will journey the big screen with those whom I both cried and laughed with throughout the book series.  

Of course we're going out with a bang.  It should really be a well known fact by now  that I love any chance I get to make much ado about nothing (or something pretty awesome in this case).

 The weekend is booked.  Nate is here (obviously).  The menu is set and we will be consuming butterbeer, treacle tarts, cauldron cakes, and licorice wands in mass quantities.  Oh, and we'll be watching a lot of movies.

 

The times have since changed, but the goal still stands: Seven Harry Potter movies plus the premiere of the newest in 4 days (we added Thursday night in case you're doing the math).  

Maybe I feel like I owe it to the characters for letting me take part in their journey for so long.  Maybe I'm just a big nerd.  Either way, hold your hippogriffs everyone, this weekend has all the fixin's for something pretty great. 

off-kilter.

word of the day: off-kilter \-ˈkil-tər\ not in perfect balance; a bit askew

The other day I looked in the mirror and felt like my eyebrows were following two different planes on my face.  One seemed noticeably higher than the other which was a troubling sight.  Tweezers in hand, I did my best to fix the imbalance although I got bored and probably stopped a little too soon.  You see, I hate plucking my eyebrows almost as much as I hate ironing.  I just don't do the latter, but unfortunately that's not an option with the former (I mean I guess it is, but let's not get into that).

You know how when you feel like something is wrong with your face it affects the rest of your day?  Like if your hair isn't just the way you want it or you have some sort of blemish on your face? Well, my askew eyebrows made my day off-kilter.  I was aware of the imbalance.  

Interestingly enough it was an eyebrows-on-two-different-levels kind of week last week in a way that had nothing to do with my face and everything to do with my heart.

I was reminded that God is the only one who can satisfy me.  Everything else in this world will let me down at some time or another--and trusting in those worldly things makes it all the more painful when they fall short.  There is so much good in my life; even if I lived a life without God, I would have much to find joy in.  So, I realized that it is my tendency to pull joy from the good things in my life and set my faith in the closest relationships to me.   But what I realize now is that God is the one who makes all things good. When my faith rests solely in Him, the relationships around me are made better.  But, when my joy comes from things outside of God, even things that in essence are still good and from Him, everything cracks and crumbles at some point.  It isn't as it should be without Him as the focal point.  It's askew.  It's off-kilter.

Jake's still pretty off-kilter.  But, as you would expect, he's not letting that stop him.  

He lit off black cats on the Fourth and then managed to hop away before they exploded.  Flinkmans love explosions--It didn't take long for him to leave his lawn chair in the garage.

Most recently he floated around the pool which was a nice change from the couch he's usually stationed on.  The cast stayed dry which is something I'm sure his doctor would like to know.  :-)

We love to spend holidays with family and were glad that injury didn't keep us home for the Fourth.  I managed to marry into a pretty great set of in-laws and I only wish we got to see them more frequently.  

In other news, Jake and I have watched 8 movies in the last 9 days.  I was a fan of 127 Hours (although I shielded my eyes for much of it), The King's Speech, and It's Kind of a Funny Story.  I felt fairly indifferent about Just Go With It, All Good Things, and Kill the Irishman.  And, I could have done without Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.  Sorry Quentin Tarantino. 

At this rate, I think we might watch all the movies in the Red Box.  Including Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.  IF I can convince Jake to watch it with me.  Jury's still out on that one.

When I look at your heavens, the work 

of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you

have set in place,

what [am I] that you are mindful of [me]?

and the son of man that you care for

him?

Yet you have made [me] a little lower

than the heavenly beings

and crowned [me] with glory and honor.

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the 

earth!

-Psalm 8:3-5&9 (emphasis mine)

cast.

word of the day: cast \ˈkast\ 

verb: to cause to move or send forth by throwing

noun: a rigid casing used for immobilizing a usually diseased or broken part 

You know how I love words with multiple meanings.  Cast is a funny one because it can mean movement or it can immobilization.  Here's some real life word irony for you...

Above you see cast as a verb.  Unfortunately I don't have a great picture of Jake doing a flip on the wake-board.  He does a mean flip, and really, that's movement by throwing in its finest sense of the word.

  Have you ever noticed how sometimes when you cast something forward it doesn't land as it should?  So Jake landed his last wake-boarding flip of the season.  

 And so Jake found himself at the doctor's office so he could be immobilized for at least four weeks.

I suppose it's not all bad, though.

 Lucky for Jake, I don't do much.  So, I have officially added "doting over Jake" to my to-do list, and he is now free to cast his cares upon me as he spends the rest of his summer doing basically what you see above.

Crossing our fingers the cast comes off by Mexico!  

list.

word of the day: list \ˈlist\ things to be checked or done.

It should be a well known fact by now that I am a lover of lists.  I don't think a day of school went by this past year that my desk was sans post-it note list (see how much better sentences are with 'sans'?).  

I tried to do summer sans lists too, but let's face it, that's just not me.  So, last week I broke down, made two to-do lists, and taped them to my refrigerator.  

In my case, you will see that color-coordinated, categorized lists are a must.  As you will also see, I have already checked off two boxes in a mere four days since the lists were created.  The main thing that side tracks me from to-do lists though?  Books.  And I have finished a few more in the last few weeks.

Room by Emma Donoghue

This is a heavy book.  While very well written, it feels a little off to say that I liked it.  Truth be told, it was very disturbing, but I couldn't put it down.  The story is narrated by Jack, a 5-year-old, who is born into 'room'.  His mother was abducted before he is born and so all he knows are the walls inside his eleven by eleven foot prison.  To Jack, though, his world is everything it should be and that's what makes his perspective so fascinating.

 The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

I made a glorious discovery the other day.  Public libraries give you the option of checking out e-books straight to your e-reader.  Brilliant.  Last Saturday, I had every intention of checking a few boxes off of my to-do lists, but instead I sat down on my couch and read this book cover to cover.  The irony is that I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.  Allen's writing style wasn't my favorite, and although I got caught up in the story, I don't think I'll check out any more of her books. 

On a slightly related note, I went to see Water for Elephants in the theater this past weekend and can say, for the first time in my life, that I actually enjoyed the movie better than I enjoyed the book.  Go figure.

I suppose it's also worth saying that I went to see the aforementioned movie alone which is a new pastime I enjoy very much.  I checked that item off the bucket list in May when Jake was in Chicago for his brother's graduation.  When I told my 9th graders I had seen a movie alone, here were a few of the common responses:

Seriously?  WHY?
Didn't you invite anyone to come with you?
Didn't you feel like a loser?
Weren't you embarrassed sitting in the theater by yourself? 

 You had better believe that I held my ground against the persecution.  Going to movies alone rocks. If you've never done it, you really should.

Well, the to-do lists are calling.  The folded laundry on my coffee table is pleading to be put away and the cold pasta on my stove is announcing its stiffness.  Mostly though, I think it's looking forward to taking residence inside a very clean refrigerator.

Before I go though--Happy Anniversary, Timmy and Kelly.  You guys are the best! And by the best, I mean I'm not sure what we would do without you.

 

 Can you believe this is the best picture I have of the two of you from your wedding?  That's embarrassing.  I'll make it up to you with some really great pictures in Mexico.  :)

forgotten.

word of the day: forgotten \fər-ˈget, for-\ to treat with inattention or disregard; to give up hope for or expectation of; to fail to become mindful at the proper time

Our small group just finished reading the book Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan.  Chan suggests that in looking at the Trinity, Christians often overlook the presence of the Spirit.  I fall into that category not because I don't believe in the Holy Spirit, but because I don't think I have ever fully understood the Holy Spirit.

This book is transforming my perspective on the purpose of my life.  I'm still trying to figure out exactly what this message means for me, and to help me in my processing, I'm going to share with you some of pieces from his book that stand out to me as especially profound.  Like usual, this is more for me than it is for you.  :)

One concern I've often heard (and felt) is, what if I pray for the Holy Spirit and nothing happens?  What if I ask for more of the Spirit's fruit in my life and don't see any apparent "results"?...I think the fear of God failing us leads us to "cover for God." This means we ask for less, expect less, and are satisfied with less because we are afraid to ask for or expect more...I can't imagine how much it pains God to see His children hold back from relationship with the Holy Spirit out of fear that he won't come through (47-48).

 When the Holy Spirit truly moves, God is the one praised...Let's pray that God would empower us so radically that we would get no glory.  That people would see our works and glorify God (87).

It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are.  But it's absolutely vital to grasp that He didn't call you there so you could settle in and live out your life in comfort and superficial peace...If you are still alive on this planet, it's because He has something for you to do (92).

I don't want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit. I want people to look at my life and know that I couldn't be doing this by my own power.  I want to live in such a way that I am desperate for Him to come through (142).

 You are most likely familiar with the "fruit passage" in Galatians 5, which says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law" (vv. 22-23 NIV).  You may even have the list memorized.  But look over those traits right now and ask yourself if you possess each to a supernatural degree (146).

 God wants the praise for what we do in our lives.  But if we never pray audacious, courageous prayers, how can He answer them (150)?

God continue to reminds me that my faith requires action. I can't do the work He has set out for me unless I take steps in His direction.  Chan gives an illustration about buying a treadmill then taking it back three months later only to complain that it doesn't work; you didn't lose any weight.  When the salesperson asks what's wrong with the machine, you reply that you're not sure because you never actually used it.

So are the prayers I pray passively.  The times I ask God to help me forgive a person but then take no initiative to move past my own bitterness.  The times I ask God to help me love people better but then don't act on the opportunities He provides for me.  The times I ask God to make His Spirit real to me but then just sit back and expect it to happen subconsciously.  

I am not a passive participant.  Instead, I'm asked to play an active role in the journey (128).  

It struck me that the definitions of "forgotten" all contain within them separate verbs (infinitives if you want to get especially specific): to treat with inattention, to give up hope, to fail to become mindful.  I see very clearly now that neglecting the power of the Holy Spirit in my life is a choice and not a choice I'd like to be making any longer.

For me, it starts with prayer.  Prayer that God will help me to be more aware of the Spirit's presence in my life.  That I would see more clearly the opportunities to do His work and hear more clearly His teaching.  That I would desire a life that is unexplainable without Him.

Come, Holy Spirit, come.  [I] don't know exactly what that means and looks like for [me] yet, in the particular place you've called [me] to inhabit.  But, nonetheless, whatever it means, [I] ask for Your presence.  Come, Holy Spirit, come (166).

Chan, Francis, and Danae Yankoski. Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2009. Print.