Change Is A-Coming

Sarah here.

Big change is coming for me. So I’m signing off here and moving here.

7 Quick Takes (Vol.19)

1. I’ve been trying to think of different things that I can eat that aren’t the same thing EVERY day as well as find some different snacks. I saw these Yoplait smoothie packages at the grocery store last week and decided to give it a shot. It was really good- but basically, just a bunch of chopped frozen fruit in a bag- so I could have made it myself. But, it was nice to just have on hand, pre cut. I’m all about convenience, hence my love for everything iPhone. I just added 1 cup of milk to the blender, poured in the fruit, and blended away.

2. A water main broke or cracked or something in our front yard on Monday. We noticed some water seeping up from the ground when we got home from work. It was kind of expected, as it had happened to lots of people around us. Our neighborhood was established sometime in the late 1920s, early 1930s, so I imagine the pipes are pretty old. We called the city the next morning, and they said they would take care of it. This is what we came home to on Tuesday.

A giant hole in our yard. Hope they come back to fill that thing up! I was hoping to get a new sidewalk out of the deal, but it doesn’t look like that will be happening at this point.

3. This past weekend, we had a much needed getaway. We left Saturday, and attended our first Ranger game of the season. I love Texas Ranger baseball! They lost, but it was still really fun! I had a lemon chill, as I do at almost EVERY trip to the ballpark, and I was just so happy to be there. I had a rough week at work last week and I was just glad to be away!

Then, we went to my friend’s house who had just gotten engaged! (Congrats Lauren & Jordan! We are so excited for you guys!) Here is me and the new bride to be!

We spent the night with the Linscotts, got to meet their newest addition, Liam, who was absolutely precious, and learned a new game (that’s way too hard to explain on a blog). Sunday, we went to Ranger game #2 and this time they won and it was awesome! GO RANGERS! And yes, I had another Lemon Chill.

4. I got some of the best news every on Wednesday. But, first, I must fill you in on some things. You may or may not have noticed that I am literally counting down the days until I finish school. I’ve been in college for 6 years, and it’s just not really what I had expected from myself. I’m getting a degree that basically does nothing for me, and I really just consider it a huge waste of time because I didn’t get to do what I want. I’ve never been super involved with my school (went to an occasional football or soccer game) and was never very spirited because I didn’t want to be there in the first place (I wanted to go to DBU). I basically went to class and left everyday. I was very envious of my friends that got to go away to college and just wanted to be done. Nevertheless, I was NOT excited to find out that it was a requirement for me to walk at graduation. A REQUIREMENT? No one does that. So, there was a form you could submit to “graduate absentia,” but it had to be okayed by the Provost of the University. GREAT! So, I filled one out- and found out today that IT WAS APPROVED! I’m so excited. Only 29 days until I graduate without having to really graduate.

5. In other news, I’ve got a BIG job change coming soon. I’ll tell you more once the details have been ironed out, but it’s big, and we’re excited.

6. I’m addicted to Dr. Pepper. Like, it is a problem. But, it’s one of those things I’m putting off until AFTER I get out of school, along with exercising and spring cleaning. Anyway, one thing that makes me really happy right now is that LARGE drinks are only $1.08 at McDonald’s. And they have like one of the best Dr. Peppers in town. I hope there is Dr. Pepper in heaven.

7. I saw this on another blog, and thought I would share. It’s called Facebook Lite, and it’s basically just the bare necessities on facebook. Kinda nice without all the clutter and application stuff everywhere.

Contentment

Eve, the real “first lady,” has an interesting story. She was the final creative act and was made as a companion for Adam. Her strengths were supposed to blend with his so that together, they could be something that neither could be separately. However, Satan attacked Eve’s contentment and sin entered the world.

Those are notes I took from the introduction to the chapter on Eve from the “Following God Character Series.” The sin of discontentment is something I easily fall into- I’m a person who likes change, so I usually can be described as always looking to the next big thing. Like right now, my life is basically measured by things I have to do right now while I’m in school, and things I’ll do once I’m done (in 32 days- but who’s counting?). I constantly complain about my house, even though it’s such a blessing to even have one or be able to afford one. I constantly complain about school, even though some don’t get the chance to get a college education. I complain about my job, yet I’m blessed to even have one right now with the economy the way it is. I complain about going to the dentist, even though some NEVER go and don’t have teeth by the time they’re 40. Always complaining about the things I have, when I should be content to have them, because all of them are a blessing from the Lord. Who am I to think that I know better than God?

Discontentment can gnaw away at your at your sense of gratitude because you’re always looking at the not so good/attractive side of things. It can devour your peace of mind, as you never have peace about anything because it isn’t good enough. It eliminates any chance you have of enjoying life because you can’t enjoy anything. Discontentment doesn’t only affect me, but others around me. Who wants to hang out with a Debbie-downer or someone who is constantly trying to “one-up” them? Our constant complaining can discourage others and bring others down. Think about the Israelites after they had been freed from slavery in Egypt- I mean, God set them FREE from bondage and they were probably incredibly thankful at first- but then reality set in, and it go hot, the trip was hard, and I’m sure there were plenty of other things to be complaining about. They even became so discontent that they thought it might have been better just to be back in Egypt as a slave.

Instead of focusing on all that they had, and encouraging each other that the Lord never abandons, and that God would bring them through, they focused on what they didn’t have and that is the definition of discontentment: focusing on what we lack, not what we have. We should be content to just rest in our relationship with Christ- instead, we number all the things that go wrong for us, and claim that God is somehow punishing us or just leaving us to ourselves because “How could this happen to me?”

God has a plan. And he doesn’t forget any detail or need. I am awful at event planning. I always forget something, something always goes wrong, and I never can get it right. God isn’t like that- he never misses a THING. And with each manifestation of God’s provision in our life, our faith should grow, trusting that God will meet our next needs, and bring us through our next trial, just like he did the previous one because he has a plan and his plan always is best. Many times, when we think God isn’t meeting our need, so we turn to idols to do so. The Israelites exchanged God for a golden calf. We exchange God for money, job security, meeting other’s needs in an effort to get them to meet ours, and constantly trying to fill a hole in our life that only God can.

One thing is for sure: in a life of discontentment, nothing will ever go well, and you will not be well.

Paul was someone who could be content no matter what. Philippians 4:11-13 says that “Paul was not saying this because he was in need for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret to being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Paul rests alone, not in his possessions or needs being met, but in his relationship with Christ and the strength he gets from that. Contentment is resting in the fact that Jesus is sufficient.

I say and believe that Christ is the only salvation there is- but I constantly try to have other things in my life meeting my needs. What are those things? How do they let me down? How is Christ sufficient in that area? These are things I, and everyone, should be asking themselves.

April Goals

Happy April Fool’s Day to everyone. I’m not really an fan of pranking, especially if it isn’t really funny to EVERYONE involved (including the one being pranked). I’ve set some April Goals for myself- and maybe if I blog about them, you will hold me accountable!

1. Finish school- there are only 44 days left until I graduate and I can finish everything except my last finals- I can almost taste the freedom,

2. With the beautiful weather breaking through the cold winter we had, I want to get outside more! Running, riding my bike to work and dog walking- at least some kind of exercise three times a week, is something I want to accomplish.

3. I’m reading a book by Tony Evans called “Returning to Your First Love” and it is excellent and I think I can finish it in a month, with school still going on.

4. April birthday/anniversary cards all mailed ON TIME!

5. Attend a Texas Ranger baseball game!

Sharing Rooms

When I was little, about 5 or 6, my family and I lived in an apartment. My brother, who is only two years younger than me, and I had to share a room. We slept on bunk bed, constantly fighting over who got to sleep on top/bottom and sometimes we even took masking tape and split the room down the middle literally.

While being of opposite genders, we couldn’t share a room forever, I think it was good that we had to for a while. It taught us about respecting each others things, privacy, and helped us learn how to “live” with others. When we finally did get our own rooms, many times we used that as a reason to not be with each other- I would go to my room and shut my door and everyone else would go to their room and shut the door.

While I think there is definitely a time and place for being by yourself, I think for my kids, there is going to be more “forced” family time. I want to sit down as often as possible and eat dinner at the table. I hesitate to say “every night” because I know reality will hit and everyone will be going their own ways and doing their own extracurricular activities, but at least once a week, meals will be eaten at the table- no cell phones or TVs- just family.

And rooms- there will be sharing of rooms. I know I have no control over how many kids we will have, but I always pictured us having 4- and I don’t see us being able to purchase a 5 bedroom house- so room sharing is for sure in their future, should there be 4 mini-Johnsons running around some day. And, I think when that happens, I would like their rooms to look like this.

Brain Dump Friday

I’m not even going to start off this post by apologizing for not blogging- because really, I am sorry that I can’t blog more, but there just isn’t really much I can do about right now. I’m finishing school, only 50 days left, and then maybe I can establish a normal life, sans homework. I really can’t fathom life without it at this point. Jim and I were making some plans for late May and he said, “If we do that, you’ll be gone three weekends in a row!” and I replied, “but school will be over!” I won’t have to spend my weekends catching up on homework or doing stuff I could have done during the week, but didn’t because I was trying to get homework done. Oh what joy shall be mine…

This week, I’ve had a nasty cough- like the kind that makes you sound like you’re going to cough up a lung at any point, and the kind that keep both the person who is sick as well as the spouse who isn’t sick (sorry babe!) awake all night. I also had an awesome back spasm Monday/Tuesday, which made things more interesting, as I walked around like a little 80 year old lady who needed a cane. After taking almost an entire bottle of cough medicine and not really seeing any improvement, I went to the doctor yesterday- and I have bronchitis. So, I’ve got some poor substitute of the bubble gum flavored medicine and a Z pack- hopefully, we’ll be good by next week!

Did I mention that it’s only 50 days until I graduate- but an even better thing is that only 43 days until I have no more assignments.

In other things, I’m getting really excited about baseball season. Texas Ranger games, lemon chills, cotton candy, home runs, Josh Hamilton- I mean I love Texas Rangers! Would I still love Texas Rangers even if Josh Hamilton didn’t play- I’ll let you know if that ever is an issue.

The last thing of really any importance is that I got a new iPhone this week. Why? Well, because the left side of my screen stopped working. It wouldn’t read that I was touching it, which makes it difficult to use a touch screen phone. Thankfully, my sweet husband let me use his upgrade to get a new one at a discount price. The next day, I took my little siblings to walk around a lake here in town, and one of my little brothers took my old phone with him. He then set it down at a water fountain. I didn’t even realize it until a friend of mine that lives out of town called and said someone had found a phone with her number in it. (It had been wiped clean and only had a couple of numbers that I called in it). It turns out, the lady who found it was from out of town and just visiting her grandmother.

That was a pretty pointless story.

I’m going now.

Yesterday, I ended my post with this:

“Because I don’t want to do a lot of things half way- I want to do a few things well, and really get out of them everything I can. I try to cram as much as I can into every ounce of the day and then am left feeling unfulfilled despite all of my busyness. That’s not how I want to live life and it’s not how I want my kids to live life. So, I’m on a journey to change that.”

In Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline, the first words in the first chapter are: “Superficiality is the curse of our age.” We are a culture of instant _________ (fill in the blank- pretty much everything has some “instant” form).  This book is great because it really takes you back to why we do what we do as Christians. When I’m feeling like I’m failing at the whole “spiritual side” of my life, it’s probably because there is one giant area that I’m failing to be faithful in, whether it be prayer, meditation, going to church, etc. All of these things are disciplines of the faith.

Many times, I don’t make these things a priority in my life, and so they never get done. I get caught up in my, getting school work done, trying to do all the things I’ve committed to doing, and before I know it, it’s 10:30, I can barely stay awake, and I go to bed. The morning comes, I look for every reason to stay in bed, get up at the very last minute possible (which was about 7:45 this morning- we leave the house around 8), and start it all over again. No wonder I feel empty…I long to go back to the life I lived in my early “college days” of being single and only going to school and having hours a day to spend reading, studying, and journaling. But that isn’t my life now, that isn’t reality.

The good thing is that others have struggled with this before me and others will struggle with it after me. I’m not the only one. And of those who have struggled with it, many have figured it out. There is hope- but not in me being able to get my “to do list” checked off, but in Christ remaining faithful to me even when I don’t.