Connecting: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

We all find ourselves in situations where it is necessary to connect with new people.  Sometimes it comes from a move, and sometimes it just comes from life circumstances.  In army life (and 3 duty stations in 3 years), I have found the need to make new friends multiple times.  Loneliness can be dangerous at any time, but in army life it can be devastating.  Loneliness combined with fear (such as that found during deployments) is not a good combination!  Today in Bible Study (PWOC, Ft. Bragg), our devotion was on connecting with others and what the Bible has to say.  Four truths were presented on what the Bible says about connecting with others. 

 They came from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:

(9) Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.  (10) For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!  (11) Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?  (12) And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him--a threefold cord is not quickly broken.  

The first truth found in verse 9 is that there is greater reward when we work together or have someone to work with.  This practical truth is easily forgotten when we try to "go at something alone."  But the Scripture plainly states that the outcome will be better when two (or more) face something together.  The second truth presented, found in verse 10, was that connections with others bring timely support.  As a wife, my husband is a wonderful source of support; however, as an army wife he cannot always be my "timely support" because I do face moments when he is not around or even unreachable.  Therefore, friendship with others is necessary!  

The third truth is found in verse 11, and it is mutual comfort.  This picture of physical comfort, can help us remember that there are times we need emotional comfort as well.  When we are faced with difficult circumstances, how wonderful is it to have a friend who understands and who can encourage us.  Finally, the fourth truth is found in verse 12:  there is strength in numbers.  God didn't create us to face life alone.  He meant for us to face it while connected to Him and to others.  So many visual illustrations accompany this verse, but we have all faced circumstances that also bring light to this truth.  

Today, in a new place, I was reminded how difficult it can be to connect with others, but also I was reminded of its importance.  Through all circumstances I must persevere, and find the connections God has for me.  In this way, I can fully realize the life that God has for me.

Addictions

I might be, could be, probably shouldn't be addicted to: Netflix, Make it or Break It (on ABC family), DVR, fast-forwarding commercials, Twilight series, Hummus, FoxNews, Facebook, scrapbooking, blogs, Ohio State Football, Harry Potter, and my Camera.

Busy Weekend

This weekend, Nathan's sister and her family came to visit.  They have two kids, Madeline age 5 and Nathaniel age 2.  We had a busy weekend including a trip the the NC zoo on Saturday.  It was a lot of fun.  Here are some pictures to show you!

Elizabeth and Madeline baking cookies

At the Zoo.  Nathan and Thomas in front of the man made Marsh.

We visited the polar bear.  Thomas enjoyed watching the bear and seeing how big he was!

Enjoying one of my favorite treats, an ICEE!

Family Photo

A Murphy Family Photo

Cousins!

Nathaniel (almost 2), Madeline (almost 5), Thomas (7 months)

The End of a great weekend.

A Scrapbook Creation

I have been wanting to create one of these for awhile.  It is a gift card holder.  I've had the pattern since March, and have just gotten around to making it.  It's a really simple pattern.  You have to use thick card stock for the base and strong tape.  Then decorate as desired!  I love it though because I don't have enough room in my purse for giftcards, so this is great!  Mine is a light blue base with purple pockets and brown/blue decorative paper.

My scrap space is about half finished, but I have enough of a work space to start creating and this was my first creation.  I'm currently working on a mini album!

I'm a Photo-aholic

I admit it.  I am addicted to photos.  I just cannot seem to say good bye to a photo.  I don't know why, but I feel like I will be losing something if I don't save a photo.  I have a problem, I know!   This problem influenced me today when I took Thomas to get his pictures done at Sears.  I have this great saver card that gets me all kinds of deals, and I had a ton of great coupons too, and yet I still bought the package.  I admit it.  I did.  And you know why?  The photo cd.  I just couldn't bear that one shot of Thomas not be shared with the world!  Absolutely pathetic I know.  It doesn't help that the professional people's pictures are SO much better than mine (with the help of some amazing cameras and gear).  I'm such a pushover though.  I knew how much it would cost to get a cd, and I told myself no before I went in.  Although it didn't take much convincing, so perhaps I wasn't as firm as I thought.  The problem with this addiction is that I can't decide how to deal with.  Most of me, just wants to ignore it, I mean after all it's not a bad thing to love photographs of your family.  The bad part is, Thomas is only 7 months old and I have a couple thousand pictures of him.  Seriously, I do.  I don't know if my computer can handle even a few years of this!  I have to learn to not be afraid of that delete button!  And I have to start saving more to afford the professional photos I just can't give up!  Here are a few of my favorites from today!

HPHBP Loves and Hates (Beware of Spoilers)

Well, I took a break from Harry Potter to add a few other fun things to the blog, but I did want to make one final post about Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.  In essence, this will be what I really liked about the film, and what kind of drove me crazy.  The opening with Harry at the Underground, is a give and take for me. In some ways, I really enjoyed this creative twist, but I also really missed Dumbledore at the Dursley's.  I really wanted to see those clanking glasses of mead on the Dursleys' heads!  I'm also glad they kept the introduction of Slughorn relatively the same.  I love when they do fun magical things like put the house back together!

I also really liked how they handled Ron and his girl problems.  It was hilarious to watch his interaction with Lavender Brown, and fun to watch Hermione's reactions.  I thought it was a great portrayal and I'm glad they included it; though not vital to the plot of book 7, it's still important.  As for Harry and Ginny---well, I enjoyed the first part where Harry is flustered around Ginny; the scene at Slughorn's dinner party was entertaining, but the Christmas scene at the burrow and then the scene in the Room of Requirement, not my favorite!  It was so strange and not well explained.  It was after the room of requirement that they even mentioned that Ginny had broken up with Dean.  So strange.  Plus, she's such a strong willed character and I feel as if the movie has portrayed her as weak.  :(  So, not happy with that at all!  

The scene in the cave was pretty intense, and I did like this.  I thought it remained true to the book (other than Harry falling in the water), and was pretty good.  However, when they returned to Hogwarts, I was pretty upset that Dumbledore did not freeze Harry.  The fact that he could move during the entire scene on the tower frustrated me.  If Harry could have moved, it wouldn't have gone down like that; the fact that he was immobilized is vital to that scene.  This I suppose was the end of it for me. Really from that point on I was just frustrated at the movie.  The lack of a fight, the death scene, and the weird scene with Harry, Hermione, and Ron at the end just didn't do it for me.  Sometimes I wish I could better understand why writers and producers choose to do certain things when creating a movie from a book, and the end of Half-Blood Prince was definitely one of those times I didn't understand.  

Having only seen the movie once, I look forward to the next time to "love and hate" it more!

I love this photo!

I love this picture of Thomas taken yesterday!  It shows off his beautiful smile!

New Book

I just bought a new scrapbooking book that I am very excited about.  It's called Outstanding Mini Albums by Jessica Acs.  I picked it up at AC Moore (you can use their coupons on books which is great!)  It's hard for me to spend money on stuff like this because I wonder if I will get any use out of it.  I usually want some type of review or personal recommendation before buying this stuff.  I was about to put this book back on the shelf when I saw three specific mini albums that confirmed I would buy this book.  The first was the Coffee Cup Album. Here's a picture from the book.  (Sorry about the backwards words, but the pictures were taken using the camera on my computer.)

The next album was a Coffee Cup Sleeve Album:

And finally the Coffee Cup Filter Album:  

I figure anyone who loves coffee that much, must have written a pretty good book!  And the book gives great instructions on how to cut and put together these albums.  Also many of the albums use materials from around the house.  I'm looking forward to making my own albums.  I think I will have to make one about my love of coffee.  I'll be sure to share my creation once it is finished!

Twilight Thoughts

Well, as could be predicted, it didn't take long to finish reading Stephanie Meyer's Twilight.  About two days actually!  So, I do have to admit that her stories are somewhat addicting!  I enjoyed the reading, and I enjoyed wanting to read.  Not every book can hold my attention.  After some thought there are two conclusions I have come to about Twilight.  The first is why it is hard to put the book down.  Meyer does an amazing job with her chapters.  She structures them so that every one ends in this mini climax.  I just had to turn the page to see what happened!  And of course, once I did that, I couldn't stop in the middle of a chapter!  Perhaps that is just me.  Secondly, I thought a lot of what was so addicting about the story.  In my mind I compared it to the Harry Potter craze, because they have had some similar reactions (midnight releases, movies, websites, etc).  I don't believe the books are as cleverly written as HP; and Meyer does not help me visualize the picture the way Rowling does, but yet Twilight was still a book I couldn't put down.  I decided one thing Meyer really has down is that she  can tell a love story.  She created two characters who love and are loved with such amazing depth and truth; this is the way most of desire to love and be loved.  In a world where many of us feel we search a long time for love, we admire, even long, for love like this.  For me it helps me appreciate my amazing husband all the more, and as a former teenage girl, I can totally understand their addictions to Edward and Bella.

New Look

So, I had no idea how easy it was to get a new look!  I'm still working on where exactly I want everything, but I hope you like it.  I picked it up as a free template from LeeLou Blogs.  

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Part 2

I read an excellent review in World Magazine on the movie Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.  I enjoyed Megan Basham's comments, and I was intrigued by her observation here:

What falls on the cutting-room floor are the elements that were most effective at turning a fanciful series about a boy wizard into an epic tale of good versus evil. Almost all the background on Lord Voldemort—his parentage, his seething resentment toward his own father, his early crimes against his family—are lost, as is much of the narrative that allowed Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) to grow into more than a one-dimensional school-boy rival. In essence, with an opportunity to give Harry Potter more fleshed-out enemies that will allow him to become a more fleshed-out hero, Yates sticks with juvenile preoccupations of spell-casting and romance.

Her observations coincide with what I was trying to get at in my previous post.  Brasham mentions how significant this aspect of the plot is in the Harry Potter books--the importance of the war between good and evil.  I think this is incredibly important.  I LOVE book 7 (more on that another time!), and part of the reason behind that is the age-old story of good winning over evil.  It is such an important concept that the book illustrates so well and the movie just didn't focus on.  I think it is significant that Harry's life is surrounded by love and sacrifice--that of his father and especially his mother and also Sirius and Dumbledore.  The "good" sacrifice that is made for Harry shapes who he is, the decisions he makes, etc.  Voldermort has none of this in his life and it shapes him in a completely opposite way creating such a stark contrast between the two characters and ultimately shaping the decisions each one makes.  The movie didn't bring much of this to life.  Luckily there are still two movies left for this theme to be brought out more.  And even luckier, we can always reread the books!

I wanted to post the link to the review, but only half of the review shows up.  If you want to view the entire article, however, I was able to pull up the entire review when I googled "World Magazine Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" and clicked on the following link from the search engine page:  http://www.worldmag.com/articles/15675  

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Part 1

I have so many Harry Potter things I want to say, so I guess I will start from the most recent and work backwards.  I think it is only fair to preface this review of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by noting that I saw the movie at 10 pm at night (after a long day!) in a theater with a broken air conditioning.  I think this may have influenced my viewing from being as enjoyable as other conditions would have provided.  But when you have a baby to take care of during the day, this is how it goes!

So, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is a most excellent book.  It may be the most informative book in the series (other than book 7) because it includes so many important bits and pieces to connect books 1-5 and book 7.  It also is the book, in my opinion, where Harry grows up the most, therefore preparing us for the tasks he takes on in book 7.  I think the movie did an excellent job portraying the second part of this.  The movie shows a great maturity in Harry when it comes to relationships.  Not only in his growing recognition of liking Ginny (and his ability to respect Ginny's current relationship and Ron's reaction), but also in his friendship with both Ron and Hermione.  I think the movie shows growth in these friendships and the ability to deal with tougher situations.  Secondly, the movie also portrayed Harry as more of a "take charge" person.  From the very beginning with Harry in the diner reading and flirting with the waitress, to his reaction's to Dumbledore's request to gain the memory from Slughorn, he shows control of the situation.  Though, I wasn't completely a fan of the movie portraying Dumbledore as encouraging Harry to be "collected" by Slughorn, the maturity Harry faced in recognition of his task impressed me, and I believe it will make what we see in movie 7 more realistic.

As far as the movie's representation of the important information from the book, this I found lacking.  I didn't feel that the importance of the horcruxes was emphasized enough.  The number of horcruxes and the necessity to destroy all of them is what drives book 7, and I don't know if movie 6 really prepares the audience for it.  I believe this can easily be made up in the opening of the 7th movie, but it could have been better emphasized.  I'll probably have more to say on this later when I talk about one of the reviews I read.

I definitely enjoyed the movie, and I look forward to the opportunity to see it again.  I will share more thoughts on it later including Dumbledore's death, Harry and Ginny, and what I loved and "hated," so check back!

Photo Freedom!

I recently finished a book that has really inspired me.  The book, Photo Freedom by Stacy Julian is a book for scrapbookers about organizing pictures to optimize time and creativity.  Her system, Library of Memories, is amazing.  It's simple--one of the simplest scrapbook things I have ever seen, and it definitely sounds like it can work!  It's also a huge stress reliever because it in no way focuses on chronological scrapbooking, but rather on what is inspiring and documentation of true meaningful memories.  I know it may not make sense to say there is more focus on memories when you avoid chronological scrapbooking, but if you have ever scrapped you know what I mean!  It is also a great system for creating mini albums or other items beyond layouts.  I am really looking forward to incorporating this system into my scrapbooking.  I believe it will help me be more creative and more productive.  It also encourages me to work hard on getting my scrapbook area set up!  I can't wait to start scrapping again! 

My Family!

It's Been a Long Time

I can't really explain why I left the blogging world three years ago.  Honestly, that should have been the time I got serious about it since I was moving away from Lexington.  I suppose I can use the traditional excuse that "life took over."  It is true after all, life really did take over.  New spouse, new home, new job followed by Nathan's first deployment, another new home, a new baby, and eventually another new home.  That's the past three years in a sentence or two.  :)  So, here I am married almost 3 years (can't believe it!) and living in Sanford, NC.

Since most of you who will actually read this already know about most of my life, I'll just start with the most recent.  We moved to NC in May, had to live in a hotel for 3 weeks which was not fun, and finally bought our house at the beginning of June.  It's an amazing house which we just recently bought furniture for.  It arrives over the next two weeks!  I loved setting up Thomas's nursery.  He has one blue wall and the rest cream.  He already has tons of clothes and toys.  My next favorite part of the house is the library.  We finally have a place for all of our books!  If you have seen our collection of books, you know this is a wonderful thing!  And finally I'm very excited that I will soon be able to have a scrapbook space.  It's a work in progress, but eventually I'll have somewhere for the stuff and a workspace.  Then I will just have to find time to work in it!

Well, since it has been so long, I felt that an update on life was necessary.  Hopefully I will be more diligent!

Life is Changing and it is about time I post

Well, it's been ages since I have posted. I know. My "experiment" hasn't gone so well these past few months...in fact it hasn't gone at all. But there is a good reason. :) Life has been changing!
In fact the biggest change in my life maybe ever is about to happen and this whole year has been leading up to it. A year ago this Sunday I met the person destined to change my life forever. Not only did he bring an element of happiness and excitement that had been absent, but he has also brought a deeper understanding of who I am as a person and my role in God's great big world (not that there isn't a whole lot more to figure out, but it's a beginning!) Anyway, as I mentioned it's been an entertaining year and on October 15th it's going to hit a climax. Because that day I get to marry Nathan and begin a life together with him.
So, this climax, aka the wedding :) has been keeping my life pretty busy. Every day is filled with plans and decisions; phone calls and more decisions; and de-stressing time with friends at Starbucks. Then there is the whole beginning life together part, which for me involves moving from Kentucky to Georgia. So packing and preparing to move has been my life the past couple months. I'll be glad when that part is over and the setting up can begin. I have been so lucky though to have had time to travel to Georgia as well as a place to stay post-Newbury Way/pre-Georgia (thanks Kris!). In fact despite the business and the stress, God has blessed my life in so many ways. I've got time to spend with friends (thanks to the whole no-real-job-thing) and time to relax (much needed after all the decision making). And I do believe that life has been preparing me for this and I cannot wait to begin this new adventure! I promise to start keeping everyone posted a little more regularly! After all I have to tell about how exciting GA is so you will come and visit!

Katrina Hits Home

As many of you know, I traveled to Mississippi today. Ever since Hurricane Katrina's destruction, I've wanted to come home to my family in Jackson, MS. It was not that I was concerned for their safety, having been able to communicate with them on a daily basis, it's just one of those things. Bad things happen, and you want to be with those you are closest to. I finally had the opportunity to come home today.
It's a little difficult to explain exactly how it feels or what it is like. Jackson is 200 miles north of the coast and did not experience large amounts of structural damage to the city and surrounding areas. However there were many fallen branches and even some trees and many people were without power for an extended amount of time. The remains of this can be seen as you drive around Clinton. Everyone has piles of branches and trees waiting at the curb. Anyone who was around during Lexington's 2003 ice storm can imagine this picture.
But it wasn't the trees that got to me today.
I arrived in MS around 2 pm central time. I went straight to the Jackson Salvation Army to drop some things off and volunteer for a few hours. I was so pleased to be able to unload two grocery carts full of donations sent down by my friends back home in Lexington. It was amazing how in less than 24 hours everyone was able to bring things by my house...I have the greatest friends ever.
After unloading the car, I volunteered in the food distribution room. I can't really describe how I feel or what it is like, so I will tell you about a few of the things I saw.
As I was unloading my car, an older couple (who looked like they could be any of our grandparents) was loading up their supplies into their car. As a Salvation Army volunteered pushed their cart full of toiletries and their food box out, the man said, "There that is our car. It's the only thing we have left." When you truly think about those words--- "It's the only thing we have left," you're floored. These people have lost everything. And you can read about it and see it on the news, but when you are standing next to them it hits home.
In the food distribution room I was handed a voucher for a family. I went around and filled up boxes of food and toiletries for them. About 1,000 people were serviced today at the Salvation Army and by 2 pm supplies were running low. There was no longer shampoo or deoderant to hand out. The food boxes consisted of an asortment of cheese and peanut butter crackers, graham cracker cookies, saltines, pudding, poptarts, nutra grain bars, green beans, corn, and peas. That's it. Each time I filled a box I just thought about how this was it. This is what these families had to eat. It's something you just don't dwell on it, because when you dwell on it, your heart aches.
It was a only a few hours of my day, and I don't feel like I have done much. I'm not going to see houses that are destroyed or a city covered in water first hand, but I am seeing the people so greatly affected by it. People who came to Jackson for a night or two and now have no home to return to, and no job to return to. Despite this truth, I saw many people smiling. They were thankful to be alive and to be with friends and family. It didn't matter that all they might have for dinner tonight was green beans. In my opinion, these people are amazing. Brave people who are living life despite having so much taken from them.

Many many people have been so generous to the Salvation Army and I know that tomorrow the food will be restocked and a larger variety of things to hand out will be available. Disaster relief takes time, resources, and money to organize. So we gave what we had today, knowing that God will provide the resources for tomorrow.

For more detials on what is going on at the Salvation Army here in Jackson, check out my Dad's blog. chuckssalvationarmy.blogspot.com His is much more complete and includes pictures.

Late Night Dating Philosophy Part 2

In a previous post I compared the world of dating to dying your hair. Well, I have been inspired to continue my metaphor. You may think it is going too far, but I hope you enjoy. And if I have missed something…be sure to add it!!

The box that stays on the shelf:
This is the color that looks so good on the shelf. You think, wow I would love to try that but for whatever reason you don’t. You’re scared because it’s too bold; or maybe you just know it isn’t the color for you even if you wish it was. For whatever reason, the box stays on the shelf although you might regularly visit it on your trips to Wal-Mart. :)

The box that you take off the shelf and carry around Wal-Mart:
This is the color that looks good. You pick it up, you hang out it with awhile cause you really like it. But before you even leave the store you realize that it’s not the one for you. You just don’t feel the chemistry. And it doesn’t mean that someday you won’t come back and get that color. But for the time being you know that it’s just not you.

The box that you buy, take home, love it, and then hate it:
This is the color that you fall instantly in love with as soon as you see it. You grab it off the shelf and smile the rest of your time at Wal-Mart and all the way home. You put it on as soon as you walk in the door and it’s wonderful. You keep checking yourself in the mirror, smiling each time. And then the color fades. It doesn’t look so good anymore and you really just don’t like it. You may even regret buying it or wonder how you ever thought it looked so good. It’s not long before you find yourself back at Wal-Mart.

The box you buy, love, and then they stop making it:
This is the one that hurts the most. You finally find that perfect color. You love it. It is exactly what you wanted. It fades into a beautiful color that keeps you smiling. But then one day when it’s time to refresh your color, you go to Wal-Mart and it’s gone. It’s been discontinued or something, you don’t know. You find yourself wondering if you will ever be able to replace it and days and months later you still look back remembering. It takes a long time for you to stop looking for it on the shelves at Wal-Mart.

The box you buy, love, and keep buying: This is it. This is the one that fits. It looks great on you and you love it. Now, it’s still hair dye, so it does have to be refreshed. You may even highlight it every now and then just for a change but it’s there. It’s true to you and you are true to it. Because it makes you happy and beautiful. It’s the color we’re all looking for. And someday we all hope to find it….

A Late Night Dating Philosophy from Rachel and Heather

“If only we could try out boyfriends like this.”

So quotes my dear friend Heather as she attempts to undo a recent hair mishap. If only dating was like dying your hair---if you get it wrong you can go back to Wal-mart and get a new color to fix it. How often does it feel like we “get it wrong.” I mean, the box looked great: the conversation was good, there was definitely flirting, the connection was there. And then not too long later, it just isn’t there anymore. If only we could go to Wal-mart and buy a new one.
But dating doesn’t work like that. There can be a lot of wrong colors in dating. For some people, they pick the right color immediately. And that amazes me. It’s awesome for them, but for the rest of us, we keep ending back up at Wal-mart.The interesting thing about dying your hair, is that most people always end up back to their original color, or their original color with highlights. Maybe that is what it is really all about. Being original…being yourself and finding someone who likes you for who you are. And maybe that person can be the highlight…the person who not only brightens your day but compliments who you are as well. Once that person is found, maybe we won’t have to go to Wal-mart anymore.

Heather and her Hair

Heather during the hair-mishap.