A New Creation

Made you look

2006-02-21T22:13:00.000-06:00

We were not created for pain

2005-05-17T01:50:00.000-06:00

So I was lying in my bed trying to sleep and finding it a hard thing to accomplish because instead of sleep, I was caught up in the pains and worries and hurts that I know that my friends are feeling. And, I also am often caught up in my own hurt. And I found myself saying to God, "Do you feel this? do you see the pain that your people are going through?" And the answer is a resounding Yes. God's heart hurts with us and breaks when we lie in a crumpled ball of tears. And I know that we were not created for this. God created us to have joy-filled hearts. But how do those two things mesh? When a person is lost and confused by the circumstances of their life, how do they reconcile that to a loving God? I don't know exactly, but I think it has to do with an acceptance of the mess of the world and a choice to believe in the love of God in spite of it. When we surrender and decide to trust in His goodness and faithfulness to us, his beauty, that has been there all along, is revealed, and we are left humbled by his love. Now, I know there have been times in my life when I have decided not to do this, when I have said no to God and have decided that he is not worthy of my trust. At the time, it was the decision that made the most sense. But, I've come to realize that an attitude of trust and acceptance of one's lot in life is really the most rewarding position to be in. When we give up our questions and doubts, we are freed to love wholeheartedly and pain becomes a shadow of the past, still there but irrelevant to our position in God.
"In Christ, you are a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come."

Changing a Light Bulb the Christian Way

2005-03-15T14:29:00.000-06:00

Hey guys and gals!

I found this page while going through old files at work today... I thought it was quite humorous. (of course, I think I have an over-heightened sense of humor... oh well, I hope you enjoy!)

How many Christians does it take to change a light bulb?

Charismatic: Only 1
Hands already in the air.

Pentecostal: 10
One to change the bulb, and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness.

Presbysterians: None
Lights will go on and off at predestined times.

Roman Catholic: None
Candles only

Baptists: At least 15
One to change the light bulb, and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad and fried chicken.

Episcopalians: 3
One to call the electrician, one to mix the drinks and one to talk about how much better the old one was.

Mormons: 5
One man to change the bulb, and four wives to tell him how to do it.

Unitarians:
We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need for a light bulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that light bulbs work for you, that is fine. You are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your light bulb for the next Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of light bulb traditions, including incandescent, flourescent, 3-way, long-life and tinted, all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence.

Methodists: Undetermined
Whether your light is bright, dull, or completely out, you are loved. You can be a light bulb, turnip bulb, or tulip bulb. Church wide lighting service is planned for Sunday. Bring bulb of your choice and a covered dish.

Nazarene: 6
One woman to replace the bulb while five men review church lighting policy.

Lutherans: None
Lutherans don't believe in change.

Amish:
What's a light bulb?

tired but not sleepy

2005-02-17T23:56:00.000-06:00

Hey,
So, I'm currently waiting for Jon Stewart to start. Oh how I wish that it didn't air so late. I have to sit through the whole news hour just to get to my Daily Show. And then I wind up being tired and falling asleep halfway through usually. But, i'm sure that anyone reading this knows about my tendency to fall asleep on the living room floor watching the TV...
I've been completely lazy and un-social the last few days. I prolly should have called someone to do something or at least made an effort to connect, but I didn't. I just sat on my couch and cross-stitched. So, should someone come and rescue me from that, or should I buck up and rescue myself?
I made a nice new kids flyer at work the last few days. I like it. I'm quite proud of it actually. I'll have to post the final version or something, so that i can show it off to everyone.
I really don't have anything useful to say right now. Perhaps I shall go read or cross-stitch or watch TV. All very useless time-wasters as well...
G'night

A lazy day

2005-02-06T19:39:00.000-06:00

Hm... it is odd to me that while so many of the people I know bemoan the fact that they do not have time to do the things they really want to be doing and instead have to do the things they have to do, I find myself do anything I want to do because I have not committed myself to doing anything I have to do. But, the true irony of that is that I wind up not doing anything I truly want to do because... i'm not really sure why. I suppose because I'm scared that my involvement is unneccessary or that the thing could be better done without me.
Meh, enough of this. I'm gonna go call a friend and do something valuable with my time
Joy out!
Vangie
(I was gonna write peace out as a random '60s tribute, but then the word joy popped into my head as a more worthy sentiment to strive for!)

okay already

2005-01-21T20:50:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I guess it really is time to post a new blog entry. A few people have been complaining at me for a few weeks to put something new on here....So, hmm..... what do I have to say that might be inspiring, or, at the least, entertaining... hmm....

Maybe those are too high of goals. I've never been really good with goals. I think goals set you up for disappointment if you don't reach them. Although, on the other hand, if you never have any goals, you never acheive anything and earn that feeling of success. So, yes, goals are good things. I'm just too lazy really to set goals and strive to acheive them. It's much easier to just lollygag around. (Oooo, what a great word Vangie! You should go into literature. Oh, wait, done that) Lollygag: To waste time by puttering aimlessly; dawdle. (www.dictionary.com)

So, I watched Big Fish with my parents last night. My dad thought the part with the baby shooting down the hall at the hospital was absolutely hilarious. Seriously. He laughed so hard! Now, anyone else would think that part was absolute lunacy and therefore not really very funny, but he just laughed and laughed. Picture it. It's contagious. I like spending time with my parents. There are no worries about being judged or thought of as not acceptable enough the way you are or striving to "fit in" when you are at home. It's just so comfortable. And, the other thing I love about my parents is that they are that way with everyone and anyone. Come by the house twice and you are no longer a guest. You are loved and cared for as deeply as anyone else. It doesn't take much to become a part of our family.

Anyway.... I think that's a long enough post. Does this satisfy you????

2005-01-21T17:44:00.000-06:00

look at that moustache... Aaah! a pirate! and he's got my mom!

Are You Afraid to Hope?

2004-12-28T21:19:00.000-06:00

"Hope holds out the alluring promise of the good that is yet to come. But what happens when your longing is met with unrealized requests, disease, severed friendships, infertility, singleness, lost passion, wayward children, or the sheer repetition of life? Many people forego the promise of hope in order to avoid the pain that disappointment or loss often brings.

"Hope can be painful, yet we need it to continue. While refusing to dream may protect us from unmet expectations, in can also keep us from experiencing the beauty God is creating in our lives. Where do we dfind the courage to anticipate the future God has promised?

"We either respond to hope with our hearts or we try to push it down. Responding to hope brings a deepened sense of thirst and ache, but it reminds us what it truly means to be human. So, keep seeking--even in those places where hope seems to have been destroyed. And while hope is never without risk, its transcending power can make you more fully alive."

-the backcover of a book that I have yet to have the courage to read. I think it's because I've tried to give up on hoping because hope causes pain when it is unfulfilled. My gut reaction is to avoid my desires because I am afraid that they will never come to fruition.

But, the big problem with this theory is that "without a vision the people perish." Without having desires and things to look forward to and as-of-yet unrealized dreams, you die. Hope keeps you striving for the blessings of tomorrow.

But it has been so long since I have actually allowed myself to dream that I don't even know where to begin. The hardest question for me to answer is "what do you want to do?" or "what are you passionate about?" because I have tried to turn those off because it hurts so much when they are unfulfilled. But, I have to trust God that he has a plan for my life and He will give me what I need. "Higher are your ways than my ways, and your thoughts than my thoughts"

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Ps. 37:4) The vision, or purpose, of my life should be to delight in the Lord. I looked up delight in the dictionary and it said "a feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction". We are to be pleased in God alone. If I do this, he promises to give me "desires", that is hope.

Untitled

2004-12-27T19:47:00.000-06:00

Hi,

ok, so it's been forever since I've posted anything. Not too sure why that is. I guess that I had nothing that seemed worthy of breaking the silence. Nothing profound. Nothing that I thought would be an interesting enough glimpse into my life. Or maybe, I just learned to trust a few people more enough to be able to release my thoughts and feelings to them in person, without having to rely on the inanimate anonymity of a blog on a computer. So, no deep thoughts or confessions today.

Instead, here is the theived three things survey, which I feel that I should fill out, if only to repay Mike, Cindy, and Katie for the joy of reading theirs.

THE 'THREE THINGS' SURVEY

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1. Vangie
2. Evangeline
3. The Vang

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
1. vangiejoy
I really have never had any others. What can I say, I'm old-fashioned. Plus, I hate constantly having to figure out who people are online.

THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My loyalty
2. My honesty
3. My hair

THREE THINGS YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My slowness to forgive
2. the fact that I sometimes don't trust God as much as I should
3. My lack of goals

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. English
2. French
3. Gypsy

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. Being lonely
2. being imperfect
3. being unimportant

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. car
2. computer
3. prayer

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1. Green shirt
2. sweat pants
3. glasses

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS (or artists) at this moment:
1. Third Day
2. Scott Kurtz ;-)
3. Bebo Norman

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS AT PRESENT:
1. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
2. Little Drummer Boy (the alternate lyrics edition)
3. another song which is tickling my brain right now but not presenting itself.

THREE NEW THINGS YOU WANT TO TRY IN THE NEXT 12MONTHS:
1. designing a website
2. kissing
3. cultivating a desire to try new things!

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP (love is agiven):
1. understanding (i.e. soul-mate)
2. a mutual encouragement to greatness
3. someone who will not let me seek my satisfaction in him alone

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
1. I turned 16 eight times
2. I've been to Mexico three times
3. The first time I travelled without my parents was when I was 2

THREE THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1. Compassion
2. Protectiveness
3. Tall with broad shoulders

THREE THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T DO:
1. climb hay bales
2. be vulnerable without crying
3. spend extravagantly

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1. being crafty
2. playing piano or singing
3. baking

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1. trust God with everything
2. fall in love
3. pursue the right thing "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

THREE CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING:
1. Marketing (I've decided that's what I'm calling my job presently)
2. piano teacher
3. stay-at-home mom

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1. Australia
2. Germany
3. a cabin in the woods where I can cuddle up in front of a blazing fire with a cup of hot chocolate and read a book or relax with a cross-stitch project.

THREE KIDS NAMES:
1. Caleb
2. Emma
3. Rebekah

THREE THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. make sure my loved ones know I love them
2. Thank God for my life and His blessings
3. sky dive

Peace on Earth?

2004-12-06T11:07:00.000-06:00

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet the words repeat,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had roll'd along th' unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bow'd my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

'Til ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

When I am feeling sorry for myself, my first reaction is to not trust God that He will provide for my needs. But, I need to remember that He is Lord and when I surrender my ideas of how my life should be to him, he is faithful to give me the best. This is sometimes hard to believe, especially when you see the shambles that so many people's lives are in, but what is necessary for there to be peace in people's hearts is a surrender to God's Lordship! May we be always thankful that God is bigger than us and his ways higher than our ways.

Vangie

Very Punny

2004-12-01T09:56:00.000-06:00

So, my dad sent me a bunch of jokes today and I think they're too good to not pass on. Probably none of you agree, but you have a choice to read them or not!!!

Two hydrogen atoms walk into a bar. One says, "I've lost myelectron." The other says, "Are you sure?" The first replies,"Yes, I'm positive..."

An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids werenothing to look at either.

I went to the butcher's the other day and I bet him 50 bucksthat he couldn't reach the meat on the top shelf. He said, "No, the steaks are too high."

A man woke up in a hospital after a serious accident. He shouted, "Doctor, doctor, I can't feel my legs!" The doctorreplied, "I know you can't - I've cut off your arms!"

Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly; but when they lit a fire in the craft, it sank, proving that you can'thave your kayak and heat it too.

What do you call a fish with no eyes? A "fsh".

A man takes his Rottweiler to the vet and says, "My dog's cross-eyed; is there anything you can do for him?" "Well," says the vet, "let's have a look at him" So he picksthe dog up and examines his eyes, then checks his teeth. Finally, he says "I'm going to have to put him down." "What? Because he's cross-eyed?" "No, because he's really heavy."

Sorry!

Vangie

I Will Praise the Lord, For He Has Seen Me

2004-11-24T09:06:00.000-06:00

So, I know that it has been forever since I have posted anything, but I just didn't have anything worthy of posting and I just didn't feel like it. It takes my brain a long time to sort through a state of confusion and come up with anything that makes reasonable sense.

The speaker at church quoted this on Sunday: "I Will Praise the Lord, for He Has Seen Me."
it was said by some african guy. Isn't it great? God knows me in my deepest darkest places. And, he loves me in spite (or maybe even because) of them.

It reminds me of Psalm 139:
1 O LORD , you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD . 5 You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, [1] you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to [2] me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. 19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! 20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD , and abhor those who rise up against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Time for a New Joke

2004-11-15T14:56:00.000-06:00

I figured if I want to keep Travis's interest, I'd better get another joke on here, so....

What does a farmer use to count his herd?

A cow-culator!

The One

2004-11-15T14:41:00.000-06:00

so, the other night, Cindy and Jordan and Mike and I were out being completely random and we decided to drive to Cindy's house in Lanigan to watch a movie. This was after going to the Observatory at the U of S (which I highly recommend. There's a big telescope that you can look at the sky through and apparently you are supposed to look at specific stars, if you can figure out which ones they mean you to look at! But, the best part is it's free! You have to go after dark, obviously) So, then after the observatory, we went down to the wier. The water makes a really cool noise if you lay down on your back and then do crunchies. You should try it. Then, we started off to Lanigan (after a stop at Mac's for some munchies)
Well, on the way down, we got into a discussion about whether God has one specific person whom he created especially for you. Now, I know that most all of you have probably had this conversation at least once, but I figured I would share my thoughts here...
The other day I found myself praying that I would be patient and that I wouldn't try to pursue guys but that God would bring the person he has for me to me. Now, I have always thought in my head that God doesn't really only have one person for me, but that many many many matches would work, and I still believe that to be true. But, as I learned through my prayer, my heart tells me that God has a plan for who he wants me to be with. There's the whole argument of "what if your spouse dies and you remarry. Then obviously God had two matches for you." I think the only answer for that is that God knows a person who will be best for you at each time or stage of your life. See, I think it all comes down to trusting God to put the right person in your path at the right time and not striving to find him yourself.
Well, anyway, I think this is enough rambling for one day.... bye for now

My Day Off

2004-11-11T19:58:00.000-06:00

So, I didn't have to go to work today, because it's Remembrance Day (isn't that terrible... it's a day that I should especially take the time to be thankful to the people who sacrificed so that I could live in a free country, and all I can come up with is "Yay! I don't have to go to work today!")

Anyway.... I bought a dress at Wal-mart which was $5 because it was kinda wierd. But, I bought it 'cause I figured "if I can fix this ugliness bit, then it'll be a nice dress. And, if I can't fix it, I've only wasted $5...") So, I bought it, and now I've cut it apart a bit and I have it all pinned up and stuff and I'm just left with a bit of a hole in the front. So, that's a bit of an issue that I will have to work on some more! I have two options to fix it: 1) gather it all in the front and put a band of fabric over the mess or 2) try to make it lay flat. The second will look better when I'm done but it will be harder to do. So, we'll see. It's only $5 I guess.

I went to visit my uncle in the hospital today. He had major back surgery. But, today, he was sitting up and eating food, so that's good. My aunt is staying with me while he's there. She's 8 months pregnant. I tried to feel my soon-to-be cousin kick today, but he quit as soon as my hand was there. Oh well, I guess I'll see him soon enough anyway.

Well, I'm about talked out for now.

Selfish Motivation

2004-11-07T04:37:00.000-06:00

So, yeah, I've been realizing lately that almost everything I do has selfish motivations. I do things and say things to be noticed by others, to be thought of as a good person, or pure and simply for my own gain. For example, I don't volunteer to help with youth group or other service opportunities because it would deprive me of having a selfish night to myself at home or out with friends. That's a shame. But, equally as terrible is when I do do something and then brag about it to others, so that they will admire me. I am usually motivated by what people will think of me. Maybe even this whole paragraph is being motivated by a desire for people to think that I am a good person for at least admitting my failure. I'm a messed up person. I think that the farther you get into knowing yourself, the more you realize how messed up you really are and how much you really need a saviour. I mean, I used to think that I was basically a pretty good person and not nearly as bad as other people I had heard of. But, as I get to know myself better, I become increasingly thankful for what God has done for me. I have no hope of being good enough on my own.
Anyway, this post has not turned out in the direction I had thought it would, but that's ok I guess. Minds wander at 4:30 a.m. I suppose.

So, I finally got to Old Navy today. It was all I expected I suppose. Extremely busy still. Not quite sure what all the hype is about really. I mean, they're just clothes people! I was feeling like I didnt' have any clothes the last few days because I couldn't find anything I wanted to wear, but then I did laundry and realized how many clothes I have. It's amazing how your perspective changes when you are picking clothes up off your floor and hauling them down and up three flights of stairs and folding them all!
Anyway... it's bedtime for this girly.

Re: last post

2004-11-01T17:01:00.000-06:00

I am a horrible typist. I count at least two typos in that last post. Sorry.

Yay! Cheap Candy

2004-11-01T16:46:00.000-06:00

Well, we've reached the day after Hallowe'en, which is the best day ever, because Wal-mart is selling off their leftover Hallowe'en candy really cheap. So, I can gorge and get a tummy ache. It's gonna be wonderful.

I think that I will buy some stuff for an Operation Christmas Child box while I'm there. I've been thinking for the last little while that I need to do some more things that are worthwhile, and this sounds like a fun and easy one. Anything much harder than that, I tend to put off. But then, God and I had a little talk yesterday, and I know that if I am a Christian and all I do is thank God for the blessings He has given me and never step out of my comfort zone (that is a true feeling for me, not just a figure of speech), then I am a "lukewarm" Christian. Now, I know that God loves me no matter what and that I don't have to do anything to earn that love, but yet, He still has commanded me to do, as a way of proving my faith.

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm adn well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is note accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:14-17

So, I am now declaring myself officially on the lookout for outreach opportunities. If you guys spot any that I should be involved in, would you give me a little shove in the right direction? 'Cause otherwise, I probably won't do what I should.

By the way, along the same lines, Carie Timm and I are talking about starting a small group, to meet on Monday nights around 8:30. Anyone interested?

Singleness

2004-10-30T18:48:00.000-06:00

I was talking with my sister yesterday, and we got to talking about singleness and about how you reach different stages in it. Like, when you're 19 it seems like all your friends are getting married and you're so old and you just want what they have because you think it will make you happy. Then, you down down the road a few years and you still aren't married and you begin to relaize that "Hey, I can be happy without being married!" And then, you start to become a full person in yourself. Then, you reach a point where you aren't even sure that you want to pursue relationships because every time you have you've just ended up being hurt and you're not sure you want to bother because it's not worth it. That sounds terrible, but it's not really. It's being happy with who you are and trusting that God loves you and will take care of you no matter what and that your value is not dependent on what others think of you. But, I think that this place can be dangerous because you start to not even expect relationships with guys to develop into something special so you don't even put yourself out there. I think that is sad. When you do that, you may miss out on the wonderful things God has for you, if you would just open your eyes. So, what I'm not sure of is where the balance is between "being content as an individual and not pursuing guys" and "completely shutting yourself off from the opportunities God is bringing your way." Those are the two states that I seem to drift between.

Anyway, enough ramblings for today. I had a very productive day today, cleaning my bathroom & kitchen, mailing a christmas package to Melody & Paul in Australia, buying yarn at Walmart (who is not the devil, by the way) for my new project, and getting an oil change in my car (for which I had to wait in line for TWO HOURS!) And now, I am contentedly looking at the beautiful sunset.

Vangie

Diving In

2004-10-29T17:12:00.000-06:00

So, under the urging of Becky, I have decided to dive into the crowd of people with blogs. I'm a little afraid that no one will read this, but Becky assured me that she would. Now it's up to the rest of you to make me continue.

My reason for starting a blog is that I am a chronically, terribly uncommunicative person and I've come to the realization that if anyone is going to get to know me on any sort of a more personal level, I am going to have to open up a bit. Then, and only then, do I have the right to know anyone else on any level other than as an acquaintance.

Plus, I want to be able to tell everyone all about all of my little stories about my days, like how I dropped a lamp on my head the other day and now have a huge bump on my forehead. And, I need an outlet for all of the stupid, stupid, stupid jokes that swim around in my head, such as "What do you call a row of bunnies walking backwards?"
"A receding hairline"

get it, get it????

Anyway, gotta go.... As I will be during most of my posts will be, I am at work right now. So, I have started to feel guilty about wasting my time here at work and so I've "got to go."