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Pray for Our Teenagers

Posted on April 29, 2009 by auburnchick

There are times when working with kids simply breaks my heart.

Having students trust you enough to tell you about the stuff that’s going on in their lives is a mixed blessing.  You get to hear the good stuff, but the flip side is the bad that accompanies each life story.

Today I spent about 30 minutes talking to a young man whose girlfriend is pregnant for the third time.  They’ve been dating since 6th grade.  She’s miscarried twice.  He’s been the father all three times.  He’s excited to be a father, even telling me that he’s ready.  I asked if he would be supporting her financially.

“Of course,” he said, “Me and my dad.”

Did your jaw just drop open?

Yeah, so did mine…at least in my mind, as I somehow managed to maintain my composure.

I asked him if he attends church, and he responded in the affirmative.  I then asked him if he reads his Bible regularly.

Here is where he hemmed and hawed.

It was an interesting conversation.  I was very careful not to come across as judgmental.  Everything I said came from a sincere heart filled with concern for where he’s going to spend eternity.

As we talked, I grew to understand that he’s very aware of the choices he’s making, and he knows they are wrong.

I asked if he planned on marrying his girlfriend.  He said maybe this summer.  Meanwhile, they are gonna keep doing what they’re doing.

Sigh…

My heart is sad because he’s not the only young person living this way.  He pointed out a girl in the class who is several months pregnant.  She and his girlfriend are seeing the same OBGYN.  The doctor told the other girl that having sex while pregnant is good for the baby…and this in front of the student’s mom who had just remarked to her daughter that she should stop having sex now that she was pregnant.

What kind of world are we living in where this kind of thing is the norm?

I tried to share God’s Word with him, but I got stuck.  He knows he’s guilty of breaking God’s Law, but he doesn’t seem to care a whole lot.  I’m going to be praying for him, and I’d like you to pray for him, as well as the other young people in the world.  How do we reach them?  We can’t force them to repent.  All we can do is present the Law to them and then pray.

Still, it makes me sad.

Interestingly enough, I heard Toby Mac’s song, “Lose My Soul” on the way to Bible study tonight.  This world is focused on the here and now.  People don’t realize what they are giving up when they seek instant, earthly gratification.  We are all guilty of this, to various degrees.

As you listen to the song, scroll down and follow along with the words I’ve included.  As I sit here and watch American Idol, the lyrics hit home.  How many people watch this show each week (me included)?  What a high value we place on earthly status, when we should be concerned for where we and others will be when this world passes away.

On to the song!

Man I wanna tell ya’ll something, Man.
Man I’m not gonna let these material thing’s, get in my way, ya’ll.
I’m trying to get somewhere.
I’m trying to get somewhere,
Thats real and pure and true and eternal.

Father God, I am clay in your hands,
Help me to stay that way through all life’s demands,
‘Cause they chip and they nag and they pull at me,
And every little thing I make up my mind to be,
Like I’m gonna be a daddy whose in the mix,
And I’m gonna be a husband who stays legit,
And I pray that I’m an artist who rises above,
The road that is wide and filled with self love,
Everything that I see draws me,
Though it’s only in You that I can truly see that its a feast for the eyes- a low blow to purpose.
And I’m a little kid at a three ring circus.

I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don’t wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don’t wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.

(Mr. Franklin, Step up to the mic sir)

The paparazzi flashes, and that they think that it’s you,
But they don’t know that who you are is not what you do,
True, we get it twisted when we peak at the charts,
Yo before we part from the start,
Where’s your heart?
You a pimp, hustler?
Tell me what’s your title,
America has no more stars, now we call them idols,
You sit idle, While we teach prosperity,
The first thing to prosper should be inside of me.
We’re free…
Not because of 22’s on the range,
But Christ came in range, we said yes now we changed,
Not the same, even though I made a fall,
Since I got that call, no more Saul, now I’m Paul.
(YEP!)

I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don’t wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don’t wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
Don’t wanna walk away,
Don’t wanna walk away

How do I sense the tide that’s rising?
De-sensitizing me from living in light of eternity,
How do I sense the tide that’s rising?
It’s hypnotizing me from living in light of eternity,
How do I sense the tide that’s rising?
De-sensitizing me from living in light of eternity.

(Lord what we gon do,We’re relying on you,
all eyes are on you Lord,
all eyes are on you, all eyes are on you Jesus.)

I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don’t wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
(Don’t let me lose my soul, my soul.)
I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
(This is my honesty, Father, won’t you cover me.)
I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
(Don’t wanna walk away, and all those people say)
I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
(Don’t wanna lose, I don’t wanna lose my soul.)

Lord forgive us when we get consumed by the things of this world,
That fight for our love, and our passion,
As our eyes are open wide and on you.
Grant us the privilege of your world view,
And may your kingdom be, what wakes us up, and lays us down.

(Hallelujah, Don’t wanna lose our soul,
No, Don’t wanna lose my soul.)

Hey excuse me,
I’m looking or the after party,
Toby,
Haha, yeah, last door on the left, you’ll hear it.
Thanks,
No problem.

Don’t let me lose my soul, I never wanna walk away,
I don’t wanna lose my soul,
No, no, no.
Don’t let me, don’t let me, lose my soul,
I don’t wanna walk away,
Don’t let me walk away,
Na na na na no,
Don’t let me lose, my soul,
I’m never gonna walk away.

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , , , , | 3 Comments »

You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

Posted on April 28, 2009 by auburnchick

First of all, hats off to those of you who can crochet.

It’s not as easy as it looks.

Trust me.

I tried…for two solid days.

I already shared the picture of the prayer shawl I want to make for my church’s new ministry.  I knew it would be a challenge.  But I thought I could handle it.  I had, after all, just completed the Umagurumi Dolphin…

I alluded to this mystery project a few weeks ago.  It’s been gifted, so now I can share it!  You can purchase the pattern here.  The instructions are very easy and detailed.  The designer responds quickly to questions.  Kudos!

I used Bernat Softee Chunky in Grey Heather.  My friend, Rabbitrescuer, had a skein of the yarn in her stash, which she sent me free of charge (aren’t knitters just the best?!).  However, my gauge must have been tight because I RAN OUT!!!  Can you believe it?!  And I only had a few rounds of one fin and then one other fin left.  That’s it!

She bought me another skein, sent it to me, and I finished it last night.

Putting it together was interesting, but ultimately, I’m pleased with the result.  The tail fins are my favorite!!

If I had to do anything over, I would not have stuffed the body quite so much, but I would have added a bit more stuffing to the tail base.

Now, who was the lucky recipient of the dolphin?

Ms D, the Attendance lady I worked with.  I came home from lunch, took pictures of it, and gently placed it in the largest non-Christmas bag I could find, covering it with tissue paper to cover it.

I grew a bit nervous as I carried it in.  What would people think?  I mean, it’s LARGE!  It measures 19 1/2″ from nose to tail.  When I selected this pattern, I thought it would be something small she could set beside her computer.

NOT!

I’m not sure what she’s going to do with it, but I feel good about gifting it.  She’s a wonderful lady who deserves to be pampered with unexpected surprises.

With another project under my belt, I quickly moved on to the new shawl, having set down my Swallowtail Lace Shawl for the time being.  We need a break from each other.

I picked up the crochet needle and proceeded to do the chain stitches and slip stitch.  And then I stopped.

I didn’t know what to do from that point forward.

I googled and googled and found some really neat sites.  If you’re new to crocheting, I highly recommend NexStitch and Crochet ‘N’ More.   The second link provided me with much-needed information about how to read various parts of the pattern; however, I was still stuck on the actual execution of them.

A quick post on Ravelry led me to a very interesting discovery…

I’ve been crocheting incorrectly!

Instead of going through BOTH loops, I’ve only been crocheting through the back loop.

So that dolphin I made…yeah…wrong-O.

I gifted it anyhow.  Who would know?

This shawl will be a different story.  I’m gonna crochet it correctly.  However, I still had no clue what a chain space was or how to skip a double crochet stitch.

I spent the better part of the morning searching before finding this page.  My eyes were opened, and something “clicked.”  I struggled as I got comfortable with the crochet cadence, but now I’m actually enjoying it!

Here is my progress so far, after 12 rows…

I crocheted during three showings of The Great Gatsby, and the students looked on with interest.

If I can crochet, anybody can!  Just goes to show you that you can teach an old dog new tricks!!

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | 3 Comments »

The Grass is Always Greener…

Posted on April 27, 2009 by auburnchick

In the neighbor’s yard.

Why?

Because when you neglect it for two years, things start to go to pot.

Today, I bought this…

To fix some areas in my yard…

Ok.  It’s not just a few areas.  It’s pretty much the entire front yard.

First, I raked the yard to loosen up dead grass clippings from the fall.  Rooster cleaned up the the dead grass that sat in piles on the sidewalk.

Then, I used my neighbor’s spike aerator to make the soil more receptive to the grass seed…

I distributed the seed using my fertilizer spreader and then adjusted the sprinklers to properly water the yard.

I’m sore from the raking, and my hands are done…

I really hope this works.  The seed was much cheaper than sod.  If my thumb magically turns green, I’ll try my hand at the back yard.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

Jesus Messiah

Posted on April 26, 2009 by auburnchick

I love Sundays.  Especially the music at church.  I know I’m probably starting to sound like a broken record, but I can’t help it.  There is such joy in these songs…especially for a Christian.

For me, there’s often sadness as I think about my friends who may not have a personal relationship with God.  I want so badly to share with them, but I don’t want to preach.  I often find myself in tears while I’m singing…both out of thankfulness for God’s gift, but also from the knowledge that others are so lost.

The song below is a wonderful synopsis of Christ’s work on the cross.  The words are provided underneath the video.

Jesus Messiah

He became sin
Who knew no sin
That we might become His Righteousness
He humbled himself and carried the cross

Love so amazing
Love so amazing

(Chorus)
Jesus Messiah
Name above all names
Blessed Redeemer
Emmanuel
The rescue for sinners
The ransom from Heaven
Jesus Messiah
Lord of all

His body the bread
His blood the wine
Broken and poured out all for love
The whole earth trembled
And the veil was torn

(Chorus)

All I hope is in You
All I hope is in You
All the glory to You, God
The light of the world

(Chorus)

There is so much symbolism in the verses above.  In Old Testament times, before Christ, God demanded the sacrifice of unblemished animals.  Their innocent blood was the sign that the people’s sin had been atoned for.  Jesus’ body was broken (i.e. he was beaten) and his blood spilled out.  An innocent sacrifice to atone for the sins of all.

The veil being torn in two refers to the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies in the Temple.  Nobody but the high priest was allowed behind this curtain, and even He only entered one time a year after a time of purification.  That curtain symbolized the separation that existed between God and man.

At the moment Jesus died, there was an earthquake, and the veil was torn from top to bottom.  Jesus had paid the price and freed mankind to enter into a personal relationship with the Father.

I looked up the definition for “ransom,” and my dictionary says:

a. The release of property or a person in return for payment of a demanded price.
b. The price or payment demanded or paid for such release.
Jesus was our ransom for the price demanded for our sin.  Jesus was the only one who could be the ransom because He was completely innocent of sin.

You know…I almost think I could have gone home after singing this song.  It was a lesson in itself.

Jesus was the Messiah that the Jews were looking forward to all along.

God is SO good!

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Spring=Working in the Yard

Posted on April 26, 2009 by auburnchick

Whew!  I’m tired!  The arrival of Spring has brought with it the usual yard work maintenance.

Earlier this week, I cleared some very sticky and tall vines from my backyard.  The vines were so bad that they had wrapped themselves around one of my healthy trees and were slowly choking it.  I pulled out a ton of weeds and dragged it, along with a dead tree trunk, to the curb.

On Saturday, Rooster was going to mow the grass.  Before he could do it, however, I realized that I had tons of weeds to pull.  Simply mowing over them would be an invitation for them to visit again.  So, I sprayed myself down with sunscreen, donned a visor, and headed outside.

Three hours later, I had amassed the following pile (this is after the city picked up my previous pile):

To give you an idea of the ground I covered, take a look at the view down the side of my house:

The entire length was covered with weeds of all sorts…prickly ones, dandelions…you name it, and I pulled it.  Now, it’s all clear, along with the rest of the front yard.

Pulling the weeds was not easy.  I got the bright idea of sitting on a small stool, which I scooched up as I progressed.  Let me tell you…the stool does not have a cushion.  Let’s just say that my cheeks (and I don’t mean facial) are severely bruised right now.  I think it’s from sitting on the edge of the seat and then sliding the stool forward and collapsing on it each time.

Not pretty, my friends.  Especially when trying to sit gracefully in church.

I still have a lot of work to do in the yard.  I’m going to buy some grass seed and attempt to grow it in the front.  My neighbor suggested that I rake the yard to loosen the dirt, then aerate it with a tool she loaned me (pictures will follow) and then spread the seed with my fertilizer spreader.  That sounds like a job for later this week.

I need time to recuperate from yesterday.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Sad Puppy

Posted on April 26, 2009 by auburnchick

Poor Pele.  I saw him laying on the floor in front of one of the bedroom doors.

I know why.

Do you want to?

Ever since we started keeping Aubie and Molly separated, Pele has been stuck in the middle.  He’s like Rodney King and doesn’t understand why everyone just can’t get along.  I mean, he doesn’t have a problem with either dog.

His life was perfect before.  Aubie and Molly gained up on him, and he LOVED it!

Now, although he gets to play with both, he knows it’s not the same.  And truth be told, he prefers Aubie over Molly.

Aubie was here when we brought Pele home, so I think that Pele considers Aubie his mom.

Aubie and Molly take turns sitting in the bedroom while the other dog goes outside or spends time in the living room.  It’s really a better alternative than giving one up.  Most of the time, both dogs are out…with one being outside and the other in the den, or vice-versa.  So, it’s not like one is cooped up in a small room for very long.  The chair stays in front of the door when Aubie is in there so Pele can’t jump up and turn the doornob.

But, today it was obvious that Pele really misses Aubie when she’s not out and about. The picture captured his mood perfectly.

Filed under: Pets | Tagged: , | Leave a comment »

My Knitting Challenge

Posted on April 25, 2009 by auburnchick

I know I’ve been rather quiet the last couple of days.  That’s because I’ve been immersed in my latest project…the Swallowtail Lace Shawl.

I plugged along at a crisp pace, easily mastering the first big chart.  The 14 repeats were a piece of cake.  Since this is my first shawl, I thought I must be pretty good at this knitting thing.

How the proud fall.

I hit chart #2 and totally hit a wall.

By now, there are about 200 stitches on the needle.  How do I know this?  Because I’ve counted them.  More times than I can recall.

Why have I counted them so many times?  Well, because I keep coming up with one or two too many.

And you know what that means.

Tinking.

Ugh.

Last night, I tinked back at least three rows.  Not funny.

Add that to the nupps that I had to learn how to do, and…well…I’m not exactly thinking I’m the All-Knowing-Knitter any more.

I made a little bit of progress this afternoon before doing another count and, again, coming up with one too many stitches.

Argh!!!

I tinked back again, discovered one stinking extra yarn over, and re-knit that row.

And now I’ve stopped.

I’m seriously considering putting it down for now, but to do so would be to fail the challenge.  I’m not a quitter.

So, if I seem a bit quiet, you’ll know why.

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

A Day Off

Posted on April 24, 2009 by auburnchick

You’ve just gotta love Fridays.  Especially when you have the day off.

Now, I could have easily slept in or stayed in my jammies.  In fact, Mr. AuburnChick commented, on his way to bed, that we could both sleep until 12 if we wanted.  He’s been working a lot of overtime and is exhausted.  However, I chose to get up, shower, and dress.

Rather than lying low…playing my day by ear, I actually have a plan.

I have to get the oil changed in my car.  We have another long car trip in a few weeks, so I need to make sure my vehicle is in proper working order.

I’m also on the hunt for Bernat Satin.  A couple of days ago, I used a 50% coupon at Joann’s to buy this pamphlet, which you can order from anniesattic.com:

My church is starting a prayer shawl ministry.  Knitting an entire shawl on my own seems a daunting task, so I’ve decided to try to crochet one.  I’ve heard that crocheting is faster than knitting.  One of the patterns in this booklet struck my eye.  I went to Joann’s several times, staring at the pattern but not purchasing the booklet until the fifith time I went to the store.  I finally caved and made the purchase.  This is the shawl I want to make:

My errands will also include the obligatory trip to the bank.  Chicky got paid yesterday, so I offered to deposit it for her.

And a day of errands wouldn’t be complete with a trip to Walmart.  I need to get new toothbrush heads, and Target didn’t have the specific brand when I was there a few days ago.

I know I have cleaning to do, but I do not plan on doing much.  A load of laundry is about to visit the washing machine.  But actual dusting or sweeping?  Nawwww.

I wanna have some fun!  I’m going to work on my Swallowtail Lace Shawl.  Last night, I finished the last pattern repeat and started the first start of the lace edging.  Ahhh…such a lovely pattern and a real joy to knit!

I’m also expecting a skein of yarn from my friend Rabbitrescuer.  I’m working on a project, and I ran out with two small parts to finish!!!!  It’s a gift for someone too!  Hopefully the mailman will be delivering it to me today!

You’ve just gotta love free days, eh?!

Filed under: Knitting, This-n-That | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

A Brave Stand

Posted on April 22, 2009 by auburnchick

Tonight at Bible Study, we discussed the 13th chapter of Luke.  In verses 22-30, Jesus instructs His listeners to, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door because many will try to enter and will not be able to…”

What does this mean?

Well, for one, it means not following the crowd – not conforming to the world.

One of the gals in my study mentioned the recent Miss USA pagent and the to-do with Miss California’s final question.  Here is a clip, in case you missed it:

Now, a little background is in order.

Carrie Prejean (aka Miss California) was raised in a Christian home and attends San Diego Christian College.  Although she hails from a state that has become known as one of the most liberal in our country, she had the courage to do her own thing and make a stand for truth.

Kudos to her for not compromising her values for the sake of a temporary crown.  Surely God will grace her with a permanent one in heaven.  By answering the question the way she did, I’m sure she’ll have a few extra jewels in it to boot.  Her crown will never tarnish.

It is my prayer that her example will inspire other Christians to stand up for their beliefs in whatever situation they might face.  Her’s was one of the most public you can find, and yet she did not waver.

What a testimony!

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Who Wants Lasagna?

Posted on April 21, 2009 by auburnchick

I’ve been subbing at Chicky and Rooster’s school, which is conveniently located next to the subdivision I live in.  Thus, it’s very easy to run home during my 50-minute lunch.

Soccer Chick frequently takes the opportunity to special-order lunch (i.e. she wants me to bring her something hot to eat…much more appealing than her PB&J).  Today was no exception as she requested two slices of lasagna…one for her and one for Guy Friend.

Not a problem.  I stuck them in the toaster oven (we don’t microwave anything) and ran outside to play with Molly.

She and I have a regular routine now…one she counts on daily.  It goes like this:

I let her outside, where she turns and waits for me until I join her.  She then grabs her ball and drops it at my feet, taking a seat to wait for me to throw it…

See how she’s at the ready?  It’s absolutely the cutest thing.

I throw the ball, and she runs after it, sometimes catching it mid-air.  Then, she returns for the next throw…

We spent about ten minutes outside before heading back in.

When I walked in, I saw the pan of lasagna I had left out and Pele sitting on the floor next to the counter.

He licked his lips.

Then he licked them again and glanced at the pan.

I looked from one to the other, growing suspicious.

I gently grabbed Pele’s snout and inspected it for signs of food.  I saw a little white on his mouth.

Could it be ricotta cheese?

I took a closer look at the pan of lasagna, but I couldn’t find any obvious areas that might have been disturbed by my furry friend.

So then I did what I thought I would never do.

I smelled Pele’s breath.

Definitely lasagna breath.

Ugh.

Almost an entire pan of lasagna gone to the dogs.

However, I didn’t have time to chunk it, so I did the unmentionable.

I placed the Saran Wrap over the top and stuck it back in the fridge.

Say it ain’t so!

Yes, I sure did.

I knew that the Mr. wouldn’t be eating any of it.  He’s lactose-intolerant.  Chicky would be babysitting after school, and Rooster was catching a ride home with me.

I figured I would get home in time to dump it before some unsuspecting person ate from the doggy “bag,” so to speak.

Before I left, I managed to snap this photo of Pele, who looks quite pleased with himself…

Filed under: Pets | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

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