WARNING: Long and random post that follows. I'm not even going to review it, even though I probably should. Feel free to skip to the end, leave a comment, and I'll never know you didn't read the whole thing. :)
(Yes, I do love the :) . Especially in text messages. That and the ;) . Because it never feels like a text conversation ends, so often it ends with a little happy or winky face. Sort of an "over and out" kind of a thing. Yes, it makes me feel like I'm 14, but somehow I can't stop. Don't want to stop. Was just telling--ahem, texting--a friend here the other day that it's a good thing I have unlimited text messaging on my phone. Because I love to text. And, yep, I bet I ended the comment with a happy face.)
I'm feeling like I need to review what I already know before moving on to new verses to memorize. Review what I've learned and let it sink in a little deeper. Review what I know and let it change my heart.
What the first one will be? Well, I have no idea. It's not quite six on a Monday morning and I'm already feeling a little scattered. Maybe I'll come back and leave a comment later.
(And you can leave a comment too. I'm sorry I left you hanging last week on a Memory Monday post.)
This need to review is from God, I think. Because now that my summer involves an unexpected (by me, not God) and unplanned (by me, not God) move, and because I'm feeling all topsy turvy upside down and inside out (though I had an awful, ugly, not at all pretty cry yesterday that ended up helpng me feel better and then looked at the calendar and thought, Well, no wonder, hello, PMS), I find that even simple truths I've known for years are suddenly feeling new and fresh. So I'm just going to go with it.
Not sure that made any sense whatsoever to anyone but me. Oh well.
And thank you for your comments on the moving post. And your prayers. I made Toben--well, I asked him to go read all of them yesterday. Because so many of your words were exactly what I needed to hear, echoed other things I've heard God say through all kinds of voices, and were clearly straight from him to me. So thank you. I'm working my way through responding.
In other news, we sold Toben's car! To a girl new to Phoenix who grew up in our neighborhood in Denver--right around the corner from our house, no less. Weird, huh?
We've talked (okay, to be honest, I've talked) about being a one-car family from time to time. It's never been something that's made it past a conversation until now. And it's definitely something we're doing out of necessity. But I'm kind of excited about it.
Yes, I suspect it may be inconvenient at times. But so is not having a television. And we've loved that. (Toben said the other day that he definitely wants to continue our tv-free life in Denver.) After all, who says you have to have a television (or five) and a car for every person in the house with a driver's license? Or a cell phone, for that matter.
I'm off for a run. I don't run on the weekends much. Though I slept hard last night and my hair is looking very strange. Have to do something about that before heading out. No, I won't plug in the flat iron and get out the hairspray, but I will grab a spray bottle and at least make it look like merely a bad case of bed head rather than like I stuck my finger in a socket.
The girls and I are going to jump back into school this morning. We have some things to wrap up and then all we'll have going is math and spelling. Trying to figure out how to motivate them to finish and finish strong.
Wow. Random and long. Thanks for sticking with me. So here's what I want to know--and you don't have to answer all three, just curious.
What's one thing you want to do this summer?
OR
What's your favorite summer memory?
OR
What's your best moving/packing/unpacking tip?
AND
And if you're a one-car family, tell me about it.
Summer to-do: scrapbooking. I am SO behind.
Favorite summer memory: just hanging around the house letting my imagination dictate what I wanted to do. I try to provide plenty of that for my daughter still at home, but it's harder these days not to have a full schedule than it was when I was growing up.
I definitely understand the NEED to review, review, review. I don't do it near enough, but I always benefit by it when I do.
The verse I learned last week on "My Soul GPS":
http://lisanotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/my-soul-gps.html
on Proverbs 4:26.
Have a blessed week! :-)
Posted by: Lisa notes... | June 14, 2010 at 06:47 AM
J,
We were a one car family early in our marriage and although not always convenient you will like the simplicity of it. I am partial to being a home body so having an excuse like, "I don't have a car." is awesome! We are again going to make our Summer poster (thank you for the idea a few years ago). One thing we want to do this summer is picnic dinner once a week at random parks around us.(Sandy gave me the idea) My favorite summer memory is camping in Hope Valley and out fishing my Dad nearly every year. My best packing tip is to make sure there are survival boxes with the coffee maker, toilet paper, sheets and necessary items in the last boxes you put on the truck so you have what you really need when you get there. My boxes included coffee maker, cups, plastic ware, paper plates, chargers, TP, advil, first aid, box openers....you get the picture. I also assigned numbers to the other boxes that identify what room to put them in. 1=Nina's room 2=Maddie's room 3=Basement 4=Kitchen so you can take the thinking out of "where do you want this box of linens?" and everyone can help unload the truck with more efficiency. :-)
Posted by: Yvette | June 14, 2010 at 06:47 AM
Wow- busy week for you! 2 of my very best friends are either about to leave or just left Denver for a big move. What an adventure! For our summer we decided to cancel our TV service and I am loving it! I know my husband would struggle long term with the lack of sports-especcially football! Is Toben a big sports guy? How do you navigate that? We sort of have one car. My husband runs a construction company so he has a truck- that is filthy dirty and won't fit us all! :) So we use my car for all family stuff or if he needs to go somewhere outside of work. I just have to ask for rides when I go somewhere with my friends- the ride is most of the fun! As far as a job for Toben I don't know what you are looking for but we attend a 2 year old church- Rocky Mountain Community- that is expanding right now. Our pastor is Anothony Pranno- may be worth talking to. Maybe when you get back to Colorado we can connect face to face.
Posted by: Elizabeth Mardesen | June 14, 2010 at 07:00 AM
One thing- find a place to live!
Memory- camping at South Mineral Campground every summer.
Packing- I printed out sheets of labels for each room and stuck them on each side of the boxes one move. Much easier to unload. Not able to do that this time, but I am sure I will wish I had.
Car-We have more than one, but you know I am all for being TV-free!!! LOVE it!
btw-small world--We were in Anthony Pranno's small group when we were all newlyweds attending CHCC. :)
Posted by: Kimberly | June 14, 2010 at 07:15 AM
This summer I also plan on moving. I am nervous about the situations that surround my move and although I am only moving about 15 minutes from where I am now it is still scary. Also, this summer is the first summer I am not working so I am looking forward to spending all my time with Jacob; reading, writing, pool, parks and hopefully so much more. I am sorry about God changing the plan on you. I am sure that everything will turn out beautiful. It always does!
Posted by: Mindy May | June 14, 2010 at 07:54 AM
Best moving & unpacking tip -- When friends came to help us move & unpack. Someone offered to put things away in my kitchen. I wanted to do it. Said no. And took things out of boxes for my kitchen for over a month. Next time, I will take all offers like that. And then just rearrange to where I would like it better!
One-car: We haven't ever been a one-car family so I'm no help there.
Although we have a TV, it feels TV-free. (There have been seasons of no TV which helped get us over the habit of too much TV). It is in a closed cabinet. During the rainy season & cold/flu season we watch more movies.
I can relate to the posts (on your marriage blog maybe) about needing to put forth some things to dream about together. We have been pressing hard this past month or so...hardly even been in the same state. And so even though we have fun things on the agenda ahead of us, they feel more like to-do items, instead of looking forward to stuff items. (Does that make sense?)
I do have a lot of favorite summer-time memories...the cabin, the lake, Bible camp...summer was my favorite season in Minnesota. (I live in Tennessee now. And fall/spring are favorites here, now.)
Also regarding memory review, I was inspired at a home-school conference. I heard Andrew Pudewa of IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing) speak about reading aloud to our children and memory review. He spoke of reviewing what is memorized again & again. He was speaking of poems but I would like to apply it to Scripture memory. If you memorize Row, Row Row your boat...every day you start with that poem. And then add to it. I haven't been to the website but my friends tell me you can download his talks for an inexpensive amount ($3 each? sticks in my mind). I recommend listening to him highly.
Whew! This is a long comment!
Posted by: Kathleen Jaeger | June 14, 2010 at 08:00 AM
I love your blog. I love your books. I am fascinated by your openness to experiencing new things like moving to AZ and then back to CO. You are so resilient and that is very appealing.
One of the things I want to do this summer is read a couple of books (currently reading The Great Omission by Dallas Willard) and take my time underlining and putting what I read into theory rather than just consuming more words.
When I was a little girl my favorite thing to do in the summer was read, read endlessly. I also loved sunflower seeds so summer for me was sunflower seeds, lips sore from the salt and books.
Posted by: Jeanie | June 14, 2010 at 09:36 AM
1) Vacation in Wisconsin with my family...leaving tomorrow AM...fishing, swimming, boating, doing thing with my kids I did as a kid
2) A day at the pool, sun kissed cheeks, homemade dinner, and a movie.
3)Moved from Portland, OR to St. Thomas, USVI lived in temp housing three weeks, then unpack all our stuff into our condo for the next two years...then when my husband was TDY for a month and I had to move again because they sold the condo we thought we had rented for two years...of course this second move on island was all me no government help...only my husband co-workers...not a happy season.
4)We were one car family (no kids) in the USVI and it worked...some days I got lonely but that was more then just being w/o a car. Have never done it with kids. Of course that is how I grew up...I admire my mom for it.
Posted by: Kimberly | June 14, 2010 at 10:17 AM
Just trying this facebook post....
Posted by: Kimberly Voskuil Smith | June 14, 2010 at 10:18 AM
Wow, I have a picture now...I feel like a real blog reader.
Posted by: Kimberly Voskuil Smith | June 14, 2010 at 10:22 AM
1) The one thing I wanted to do, I have already done and that was to clean out and organize my closets and drawers. However, another thing I want to do is just sit and read.
2) My favorite summer memory is the summers where we drove from CA to Ohio.
3) Best moving/packing/unpacking- label clearly so you know where everything is...unpack the kitchen first...and have one bag/box you carry with you that has all the things you will desperately need when you get there.
4) I am a one-car family....but then, I am only a one-person family. =)
Posted by: Rachel | June 14, 2010 at 11:29 AM
Kinda felt lost reading this post before they one before. But know I understand! What a week!!
MM post:http://cwperez.wordpress.com/2010/06/14/mmknowing-relying-on-gods-love-1-john-413-21/
Looking for a mini-van, kinda one car right now and borrow a neighbor's extra car when we need to while looking.
Excited to see what God is doing as you move!
Posted by: Caroline | June 14, 2010 at 12:43 PM
Been a one car family for three years and think it is great. A hybrid, at that, so we feel like we are actually doing our part. It's inconvenient at times, but so worth it.
Posted by: E | June 14, 2010 at 04:50 PM
We are not a one car family now, but we were for several years. In many ways, I miss it. On the days I needed to take my husband to work, I loved the car time closeness. When I would pick him up-or when he would pick me up-it was great to talk about our day in the car. You have to plan more, but it is something you may find you really enjoy. Still praying for you and your family,
Barb in CNY
Posted by: Barb | June 14, 2010 at 07:06 PM
Just got caught up on what all is going on. WOW! I will be praying for you guys.
Posted by: rhonda | June 15, 2010 at 05:01 AM
Praying for all the transition ahead for your family, Joanne. On the car front, we have been sharing a car since January and so far so good. There have been a few times when we didn't communicate well and had some drama but for the most part we have been more strategic about errands and outings so we enjoy more family time and walk or ride bikes to get places, too. Just make sure you keep a central family calendar so you know when the car is going to be out and don't overbook. :-)
Posted by: Rose Leingang | June 15, 2010 at 08:14 AM
My first example is a true story. A few years ago, a very outgoing student with a great sense of humor came to my social psychology class wearing a huge orange wig. The funny part is that he acted like it was no big deal, as if it were normal to attend class wearing an oversized bright-colored wig. I laughed heartily and explained to the class that his wig was a great example of deviant behavior; after all, no one else had ever come to my class with a crazy wig (and no one has since).
Looking back, though, I don’t think it’s a great example of deviant behavior, because, for whatever reason, the other students didn’t react to his behavior. They were indifferent. I actually offered the only reaction--and the way I laughed conveyed a positive reaction. And though my reaction and my comment aboasfut his wig indicated that I thought he was behaving in deviant fashion, no one else seemed to think of it that way. Basically, they didn’t care. Considering that, did an act of deviance really occur?
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