I Found It! :)

The book I was thinking of is Little Toot! Funny name considering that I grew up in a family that referred to farts as toots.


The book is about a little tugboat who would rather play than help his father work in New York harbor. Eventually Little Toot does choose to help, but when he helps he accidentally causes a major crash and is banished. But when a storm comes up and strands a big ocean liner, he is the only one that save the day.

The story begins, "at the foot of an old old wharf lives the cutest, silliest tugboat you ever saw..."

Little Toot got his name from the sound he makes. "Blow hard as he would, the only sound that would come out of his whistle was 'toot! toot! toot!'"

I think that Little Toot and I are kindred spirits. Little Toot preferred to play rather than work. "Little Toot had no desire to be tossed around. He preferred the calm water of the river itself where he could always find a little fun."

But as you know Little Toot can't stay in the safety of the river harbor for long. Eventually he is needed to perform a rescue and he saves the day - but he was very scared. I would be too! Who am I kidding, I am scared of my own ocean! :)

So if you get a chance, go to the library and find a big comfy chair where you can sit down and read Little Toot. I am sure you will be refreshed and encouraged by the honesty and transparency of the subject.

A Good Reminder

I subscribe to weekly tips from Aby of Simplify101.com. They are quick little tidbits that help me stay on track in my goal to be an organizing goddess... okay, they are nice thoughts that I sometimes use to maintain my "not so goddess-like" organziation.

Today the tip hit home. There are some things in my life that I have been mentally avoiding. Here is what Aby says.

WEEKLY QUICK TIP

Focus on progress instead of perfection. Believe it or not, perfectionism is a very common cause of disorganization. Seems counterintuitive that a perfectionist could be disorganized, doesn’t it? Well, the desire for perfection is often so strong that it creates immobility, both at the onset of your organizing projects, and anywhere in the process if you begin to realize things aren’t turning out perfectly. If you feel that perfectionism is getting in the way of your desire for a more organized home and life, the first step is to recognize this fact. Then, look for ways to take small steps in the direction you want to go. Give yourself permission to organize imperfectly by focusing your attention on progress instead of perfection.

Aby, thank you for your wisdom. You are right. My problem is not disorganization really--I know how to do that! My problem is staying organized when I am feeling scared and thus immobile. So, along with my friend Agur, I am going to seize the day and realize that I'll make it through if I keep on trucking!

That just reminded me of a little tugboat book I used to read as a little kid. Does anyone remember that one? I think it was a Golden Book...

An Inspired Utterance, Thanks Agur

It is not often in my life that I can truly open the Bible and find a passage that speaks directly to my immediate need. In fact, I am usually the lucky one to open up to something like Nahum 1:2 (blood, jealousy, vengeance, you know...).
However today I was sitting here at my desk and I suddenly felt like I should open my Bible. So I did. Here is what God had to tell me today.

Proverbs 30: The Sayings of Agur

The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh-an inspired utterance.

This man's utterance to Ithiel:
"I am weary, God,
but I can prevail.
Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
I do not have human understanding.
I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.
Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Whose hands have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?
Surely you know!

"Every word of God is flawless;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Do not add to his words,
or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

"Two things I ask of you, Lord;
do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.

I should mention that I have really been struggling lately with believing lies about myself. Lies about who I am and whose I am. I have been pretty discouraged during this tough time of transition. And during those times I find it is pretty easy to forget that the word of God is flawless and a shield. And I truly resonate with Agur's statement, "I am weary, God." But his next statement is what I need to remember, "but I can prevail."

My prayer is that this time of transition will bring a time of joy and peace. There is one who wants me to believe the lies that tell me to despair and tell me that there is no hope and that I am not an effective and purposeful person--but there is One who is greater and it is this One who holds my soul, and my hand.

The one political indulgence I'll post: Saturday Night Live

My first Texas wedding

This weekend I attended my first Texas wedding. Our friends Ray Miller and Sarah Chisolm tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony that was a worshipful celebration of their love. Marc and I have been blessed to watch their relationship from the beginning. Sarah and Ray met because they were both on our Kenya team. It was funny to watch them begin to fall for one another during the trip. At the time, both of them were dating other people, but the Lord eventually brought them together in a way that left no doubt as to the source of their love.

Marc served as an usher at the wedding so we attended the rehersal dinner and wedding this weekend. It was a blessing to watch this dream come true for our two friends. Ryan and Kristen Richardson, another couple who was on our team in Kenya, performed the wedding. It was so neat to have a couple officiate--It gave a little more meaning to their comments about marriage somehow. Anyway, here are some pictures of the two of us from last night. Enjoy!

Oh, and yes, I do have a wicked sunburn right now. :)

Thirty by 30

As you know I am only 25, but there are some things I want to do before I am thirty--not because I think thirty is the end of anything, but because it is a good "mile marker" and an excuse to do some things that I've always wanted. Plus, Sara Patterson gave me the idea and I think she is great! :)

In no particular order...

1. Go back and stay at our honeymoon suite for at least 3 day and 3 nights...just because.

2. Eat Ethiopian food.

3. Have a Vitek's Gut Bomb.

4. Workout at least 3 times a week starting...now. :)

5. Read the Lord of the Rings trilogy. (This one is so that Marc will quit bugging me!) :)

6. Get involved in a women's bible study.

7. Lose 25 lbs. of fat.

8. Move back to the Midwest.

9. Have a baby. (But this one will happen much closer to thirty!)

10. See the Grand Canyon.

11. Go on a roadtrip/vacation with Sean and Theresa (and their little bundle!).

12. Learn to knit.

13. Make a quilt.

14. Read the entire Bible (kind of sad that I haven't done it yet...).

15. Read one book a week for a year.

16. Preach a sermon.

17. Get another tattoo.

18. See a game in the new Yankee's Stadium.

19. See Wicked on Broadway.

20. Run a mile in under 10 minutes (this may not seem like a big goal to some of you, but...).

21. Take a yoga class.

22. Bake a cheesecake (Sean, I may be calling for help on this one).

23. Find a mentor.

24. Grow something from a seed (once again, this may not seem hard to some of you...).

25. Write one note to a friend a week for a year.

26. Learn the basics of web design and upkeep.

27. Get up to watch the sunrise (at the risk of sounding like a broken record, this may not seem hard, but...).

28. Go camping.

29. Take a class.

30. Scrapbook our life in Waco.

Rain rain go away...

Well, two weeks ago (I know, but it took me a while to get the pictures off my camera!) Marc and I got SOAKED while walking back from Baylor. It was an amazing walk, but I can honestly say that I couldn't have made it without the vision-assistance of my husband. My glasses were positevely drenched--I truly needed windshield wipers!

I thought you all would enjoy seeing the pictures! Take note of the fog on my glasses...

After we arrived home we took long hot showers and went out for supper, but this time with an umbrella! :)