Aubrey Scout Carter

This has been a great week. You know what makes it great? Is it the problems that I have run into on the job? No. Is it the sadness that I have felt over hearing about friend's struggles? No. Is it everyday reminders that life is fleeting? No. Is it the fact that Scout got to spend the night with me on Monday night? ABSOLUTELY!!!! That kid can brighten any kind of week! Scout is my four year old niece and I happen to think that she is the greatest kid on earth! She can make me laugh harder than anyone else. She can make me do things that I would never do for anyone else. She can make me feel special and loved and appreciated like no one else. If you don't know her, you are really missing out! Here's the little mantra that I recite to her over and over when she's with me, "Do you know that I think you are the smartest girl in the world? Do you know that I think you are the sweetest girl in the whole world? Do you know that I think that you are the prettiest girl in the whole world?" And then I always say, "Do you know what's better than being pretty? Being kind...and the great thing is that you are both!" I really and truely mean all of that! I hope that when she is 35 she will look back and remember that that is what I think of her. I am sure that Matt and Carla get frustrated with the way that I spoil her, but I just want her to know how incredibly grateful I am to have her in my life. Man, God has just been too good to us!!!!

Creative Outlets

Do you have one? They are so important...at least to me. There are days when I sit in front of a computer all day. Other days, I am leading trips or counseling students, and while that is extremely rewarding, there is always a little restlessness in not being able to create something. I think that we were made to create, because we are made in God's image, and He is the Great Creator. I can remember in college having projects to do and praying that God would give me an idea because nothing has been created that He didn't create in the first place; no thing or concept exists outside of Him. So, for me anyway, I get a

little restless when I don't get to express myself outside of the norm. I have never felt this more than in the last year. Some of you know that I have taken up the hobby of cake decorating. I'm certainly no cake boss, but I love being able to imagine what something should look like and then begin to create it. Sometimes you can tell what it is supposed to be and sometimes you can't. Haha. Cakes are pretty expensive, so I usually have to be asked to make one, but when I am, I get so excited. It really is fun to me. And it makes me proud to show off what God enabled me to create.

During 40 Days of Community, I have had the opportunity to help create the videos for the Sunday services. It has been a blast to sit and brainstorm about what would illustrate a point or idea and make people laugh. I have pushed my abilities and found that I could do a little more than I originally thought possible. We have also been creating Better Together video clips. So a lot of my free time has been spent trying to think of different things that are better together. So here is what I have found...most everything is better together. Decorating cakes is better together. Ideas are always strengthened when more than one person develops them. It is always more fun to share stories, laughter, and even frustration with someone else.

This past weekend I was working on my latest cake, a camping cake for my friend Amy's 30th birthday. My friend David offered

(or was begged) to help. At one point, the pop tarts that I was using to make the tent collapsed. Had I been alone, I may have crumbled with it, but because I had a comrade by my side, I laughed and together we brainstormed about how to make the next one stronger. Things really are better together. And if you don't have a creative outlet...find one. You just may find out that you have a talent that you never knew existed!

Two Best "As Seen On TV" Discoveries of 2009

Okay, if you have not had the pleasure of using these two inventions, you are getting ready to get so excited. Well, that may be a little too much build up. Haha. But here we go....

The first is the Neti Pot.

This is a strange little pot that you fill with warm salt water and pour into your nose. You pour the water in one nostril and watch it flow out of the other nostril. Nasty right?! Well, its not the most fun activity, but after a little while you feel so much better! It really clears your sinuses! And here's a little hint, CVS has their own version that they are selling at buy one get one half off right now. You can get the refills at half off instead, if you want to. So you end up getting the pot and lots and lots of solution packets for less than $20. Woo hoo!

I saved the best for last. This little gem is called the turbo snake.

You can get this for $10 in the check out line at Wal Mart. If you have long or loose hair (I have both), you need this item!!!!! I have gone through countless bottles of draino. Well, no more! Again, this is a little gross, but it works so well. You run this little mascara wand looking tube down the sink drain and then twist. When you pull it out, you have a wig on the end of it and water will begin to flow down the drain again. There is also one for the tub. This one allows you to pull out two wigs. Haha

Well, I hope that this post will enhance your 2010! Happy New Year! :)

Just call me Martha

I know that this is really silly, but I am in a slight time of mourning over my Halloween/Fall decorations. This year I made a wreath and decorated a table on my front porch. I also tried my hand at chiseling a pumpkin instead of carving. I was so proud of myself and the total Martha Stewart look of my house. Well, now the wreath is rotting and the chiseled pumpkin is black instead of orange in the chiseled areas. Thursday was trash day, but I just couldn't put them in that big green bin. I may need help letting go. Anyone want to come and load my decorations in the trash can on Wed? Pathetic

Bananagrams....and creation

If you have hung out with any of the Carters in the last few months, you have no doubt been told about the greatest game to come out since Monopoly...okay its actually a LOT better than that!  Bananagrams!  Carla discovered this great game and we have been playing non stop ever since.  Mom is really addicted and can be found playing alone.  Dad tries to use up all of the pieces late at night when he can't sleep.  I have had dreams about words that could help you win.  You really need to check out this game if you haven't played yet.  You can even play it on Facebook, if that is more your speed.

For the last few weeks, Scout has been asking more questions about God.  It is exciting to hear her talk about God and ask questions.  Her latest thing is to talk about how God made different things.  The other day she was asking Matt about how God made the trees.  She said, "Did God make the trees?"  "Yes, He did."  "Well, how'd He do that?"  "Well, He just said, 'Tree'...and it appeared.  He is just that powerful.  It's kind of hard to understand."  Long pause.  "That is hard to understand.  Bananagrams is hard to understand too."  Bwahahahaha.  How fun to watch her learn and grow!  And poor kid, with a family like ours this is just one of many confusing things that she will have to understand.

The Marks of a True Friend

Thursday was such a beautiful day. We made it through the whole day with no rain and beautiful sunshine. So, I pulled out the spring wear! I put on some white capris and a baby blue sweater and then I pulled out the sequin covered, pastel, ballet slippers. Let me just say, these shoes are TOO CUTE! But, they hurt my feet! They have always been about one size too small and so I always wear them once and then put them back into the closet until next year, when I pull them out having forgotten how much they hurt my feet. Well, the day before, Colette had been telling me about how her mom used to wear tight shoes around with big socks for a day and how they would stretch. So that morning when I put them on and thought they were probably a little too tight, I put big socks on with them while I was getting ready. Let me tell you....that was a sight. But definitely not the funniest thing I would see all day! Well, I took the socks off and they seemed to help a little. By lunchtime, the shoes were starting to hurt pretty good. I ran into David Kay out in the parking lot on my way to lunch. Half joking, I asked David if he would be willing to walk around in my shoes for a minute to stretch them out. Before I knew it, he had his shoes off and was waiting for me to hand them over. So I did. Haha! He put them on and walked around a bit. His only comment being, "Your toes are prettier than mine." Well, it worked. My shoes felt WAY better after that. And I now know that I can go to MY FRIEND, David Kay, with anything! What a guy!!!

The Wonder of it All!

Have you heard the Easter story lately? I mean I know its Easter and you have thought about it, but have you REALLY listened to or read it lately? Have you pondered it? It is a story full of wonder and mystery. Why would God come and live among us and then die in our place? Why would perfection take on imperfection? Why would people rather have a murderer loose in their town as opposed to a guy they didn't like because they thought He was a heretic? How did Jesus resurrect from the dead? Why didn't Jesus use pyrotechnics to draw attention to the power He had...why use women? Why did Jesus let Thomas touch Him instead of getting angry at his unbelief? Why did Jesus forgive Peter and allow him to lead His church? Do questions make you nervous? Have you already started asking why in the world I would post this? Does it make you a little uncomfortable that you don't have answers to all of them? I mean we know basic answers, but do you really, completely understand how Jesus resurrected? Yeah, I don't either. Isn't that great!

I am reading a book right now by Ed Gungor called religiously transmitted diseases. So far, I am loving it. One of the chapters is called unreligion: recapturing the romance. In it Gungor, after relaying a story about killing a frog as a kid to see what made it tick, says, "It is as though I am uncomfortable with wonder. I find something full of life and , instead of enjoying the mystery of it, I want to dissect it, to figure out the how and why. But dissecting life results in death. And once death comes, the mystery disappears." He goes on to talk about Romans 11:33 which says, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!" See, its good to study God's word and to learn more and more about Him. We should all be doing that daily. But don't think for one minute that you are ever going to completely get it. When we "get it", we have missed God! "How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!" That's the wonder of God! And I love it! That is why we are called people of faith. It takes faith to believe what we don't completely understand.

I fly a lot for mission trips. I don't understand how huge airplanes can float through the sky. I don't even understand what goes on in the cockpit. I couldn't even tell you how the engine works. But, I do know that I have been in lots of airplanes and they have all flown. So, with a little fear, I board my plane, and know that odds are pretty good that my airplane will fly. I don't understand all of the things of God. I don't know why He chose me. I don't know why He loves me, other than the fact that He is love. But even that, I can't fully get my head around. But I know that EVERY time I have ever trusted Him in the past, He has been true and faithful. EVERY TIME! And so with no fear, I can put my faith and trust in Him, because He has NEVER failed! Oh the Wonder of it All!