finishing strong

joel and i had the privilege of attending the celebration of life of a leader in our congregation this morning
the ceremony was a true service of worship, glorification, and praise to Christ
this man was described as pushing others closer to Christ
we were urged to remember that the hole we feel in needing/wanting those that are gone should be filled with Jesus!

we are so blessed to have been at this funeral today and so thankful to have been impacted by Scott's life

its a wonderful world

louis armstrong had it right!

blessings are overflowing lately for the drapers!

we have been enjoying our marriage so much more every day - its wonderful to see how better it continues to get!

we also are so happy with our wonderful puppy - those of you that don't have this type of a bond with a pet won't understand - but she makes life so much greater for us!

we have been so blessed to be a part of such warm fellowship at our faith community (life community church in bluffton) God has been transforming our hearts, building relationships, and plugging us in to serve our community - its exciting to see all He has to offer us and the many wonderful opportunities He provides

extended family time has been rich this fall and winter as well - we are so looking forward to spending more of it all together over the christmas season - we are thankful for the wonderful relationships we have with our brothers, sisters, parents, nieces, nephews, and grandparents!

i am so personally thankful for the end of my fall semester! i am excited for the wonderful opportunities i will receive as i begin practicing my skills at our free clinic in huntington (ask me for details!) the last year and a half has taught me so much about school, relationships, professors, diligence, and responsibility - i'm so thankful to be a part of this program!

i have also been so blessed in this wonderful world to have such a wonderful husband! he has grown and changed so much since our engagement, our marriage, and even more in the last six months. his leadership and guidance has been a main ingredient in the joy of our marriage - i love you honey!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving in review...

i just want to give a glimpse into our long weekend through some random thoughts and quotes that some of you may or may not understand or appreciate: enjoy :)

1 bed that had been peed on by a dog that i laid in for 30 minutes before Joel came to bed and laid in the wet spot...we slept on kid sleeping bags and used random house blankets that were not long enough to cover us up. needless to say - i woke up cranky and cold.
1 cousin asking Joel if she wanted the baby she was carrying...
1 horrendous headache Sunday morning that handicapped me to the bed while Joel had to get up at 6:30 and go to church for 6 hours...
2 games played with Joel's family where Joel not only DIDN'T win but kind of got last place...
2 Christmas movies watched while decorating our home (Surviving Christmas - very bad! Elf - very wonderful!)
3 Thanksgivings
3 new people at the greater Draper Thanksgiving that none of us (us being Joel, Neil, Leslie, and I) knew (happens every holiday at that house!)
3 nephews running around my parents home :)
4 hours of traveling to and from MI
7 dogs in one house at one time
8ish strands of lights put up around our house
$15 Christmas tree - yay our second married Christmas!
20+ crackers with Dawn's cream cheese, chipped beef and green onion cheeseball creation on Saturday afternoon...yummy
25 days until Christmas - another crazy holiday weekend full of family and surprises!

when i started this post i didn't realize i'd make it so numerical - but then that had a nice ring to it all...one of my favorite games of this season is writing emails/poems/conversations to the tune of different Christmas carols - maybe i'll do a future post honoring that fun!

flufficating

yesterday, joel, eme, and i laid down for a little snooze after church and before we left to watch notre dame hockey at the coliseum

i'm lucky, cause i always get to be in the middle of this family 'spoon'

joel, me, eme - because of our positioning, and how crazy lazy eme is - she ended up laying on my face to rest

as i was trying to escape her curls winding up my nose and down my throat i said 'eme, quit suffocating me with your fluff!' and joel called it 'flufficating'

i seriously laughed for the next five minutes - it was so funny and so perfect!

that's what eme likes to do - accidentely flufficate you

since i'm talking about our precious little gem of a pup - i'll let you in on all the animals joel and i believe take a part in making up her heritage and ancestry:

1. dog (her genes - obviously)

2. cat (her purr)

3. lamb (her fluff)

4. lemur (her tail)

5. bunny (her hopping)

6. pig (her snorting)

we feel that this mixture is perfect in concocting a sweet cuddly companion with a sassy personality :)

made in His image

Psalm 139:13-17

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!

(New Living Translation)

With family and friends expecting, this passage is so fitting as we are surrounded by God's marvelous and incomprehensible creation. How peaceful and soothing to meditate on this passage (and the entire chapter) thinking about lives being formed, lives to come, and the sometimes frustrating and confusing lives we are living!

How do we appropriately thank a God this wonderful, thoughtful, and omniscient?
He delights me :)
I can rest in the peace that He already has it worked out.
He already knows what will happen.
He is already waiting and ready to comfort, console, protect, heal, and rejoice with us through what our sinful world may bless or curse us with.
His ways are perfect, meticulous, and purposeful.
Thank You.

cuisine critique

1. bacon cheeseburger soup - a hit! joel likes it - he said it doesn't necessarily taste like a bacon cheeseburger but is still yummy
2. baked potato soup - i don't even like potatoes, so i don't know why i made this - it was a huge ordeal. getting the potatoes soft, thickening the soup - haven't tried it, but will make joel try it today :)
3. spinach smoothie - yummy! had spinach, banana, strawberries, ground flax and milk. will try it with peanut butter and orange juice soon to sweeten it a little
4. deviled eggs - thank you to myself for finally making these. i love them!

food frenzy

today i am inspired to make and create.
1. bacon cheeseburger soup (my in-laws so this on t.v. so i'm going to try to make it up)
2. baked potato soup (we have potatos and don't like them much...but we love soup!)
3. spinach smoothies (credit to my friend kim)
4. deviled eggs (i've been craving these for at least 2 weeks!)

also - thanks to kim and dave for a fun friday night. they came down from goshen to spend the night with us and ran in the Oubache State Park run on saturday morning
this couple is a breath of fresh air and wonderful pair to be around - exuding Christ's love
we can't wait for another sleepover :)

lastly, on my random post...the message at life community yesterday was amazing. Satan was trying his hardest to distract the worship team and leadership from being able to be vessels to the Holy Spirit - but God won! Chad was used by God to bring a very direct and convicting message about idolatry. i ordered the dvd so we can just always have it. seriously - amazing. check it out on their facebook page - they always post the sermons.
this is just another of many additions in my life of God talking to me about storing my treasures in heaven and not on earth - to not idolize or worship anything or anyone on earth, but to concentrate on HIM.

what are you cooking in your kitchen?
how are your friend encounters uplifting you?
what has God been telling you lately?

friends and fun

joel and i got to spend part of this lovely weekend with our good friends andy and katie from toledo. they came over saturday afternoon with dublin, katie's lab and rufus, andy's german shepherd. it was a full and fun house with those two big dogs and our little eme!




we all also went to our friend michael's costume party
andy was a pirate and katie, a ninja


they're not always that scary...we love when they come to visit or we get the chance to go there!

joel and i went as jim and pam

joel was a great jim!!! (he even brought a stapler in jello!) and i was an ok pam (i did pass out jelly beans all night...)

people only figured out what i was because of my cute husband :)

today andy and katie accompanied us to church where we were met with a great message filtered through chad and then raked at my parents house for a few hours before a delicious lunch at el camino and our second game of settler's of catan of the weekend! (this time, katie was victorious! - in your face joel.)


with our hearts filled and our house emptied we are going to relax and rejuvenate this evening, together - enjoying the blessings of being husband and wife - a union we are thankful for every day.


(this was my first post with pictures...and the pictures aren't spectacular - hopefully will improve in the future!)

a meal of scripture

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. Your were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Be imitators of God, therfore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 4:20-5:2

This was our opening devotion in my class tonight. It struck me as so profound as Dr. Davis, my professor talked about the difference in this passage about what we are supposed to put off and what we are supposed to put on.
Go ahead and make these lists for yourself.
Now reflect on them.
He brought it deeper by saying, "We're much more known for what we put off than what we've put on. They (meaning non-Christians) know what we're against, not what we're for - which are the fruits of the Spirit."
wow.

Add into this what I studied this morning for my Crucible class (discipleship class at church) about storying up treasure in heaven rather than on earth from Matthew 6:19-24. I am suddenly aware of how much stock I take and how much treasure I am storing up here on earth...and how afraid I am of some opportunities I am provided with to store it up in heaven.

Needless to say, this has been a profound day for me. This comes with great relief and joy as I have been missing communion with God and am searching for it in all areas of my life - hungry and thirsty.

omaha retreat at the branyans

joel and i just returned this evening from a lovely long weekend in omaha nebraska with josh and julie branyan. we slept in, ate out, played video games, kareoked in their living room, were introduced to 'the big bang theory' series, (if you've ever seen this sitcom you'll know why joel loves it so much!) and watched eme and murray fight over bones and whine at each other. it was just what joel and i needed to recharge us this fall and hopefully the branyans enjoyed it as much as us!

here are some highlights i kept track of all weekend to blog about:
1. we had a 10 hour drive each way - so joel and i listened to mary higgins clark's 'on the street where you live' murder mystery. it was 9 hours of fun! this was the first time either of us had listened to a book on tape (since we were five and listened to mr. mcgregor's garden...) and really enjoyed the suspense and talking over 'who dunnit' together - i would recommend this book for a long carride or just an enjoyable weekend read
2. we went out to eat lunch at a local mexican restaurant. as the waitress was taking our order she looked directly at me and said 'you look exactly like my doctor.' amid all the thoughts and responses running through my head i said 'oh, thank you!' - what i wanted to say was 'i'm not even old enough to be a doctor' or 'how have you been feeling?' - i think i made the right choice (any suggestions on what i should have said?)
3. we went to the omaha henry doory zoo. SO fun. it did rain most of the time, but luckily - all their exhibits are in and outdoors! joel and i looove going to zoo's - its prob in our top 3 favorite excursions and try to go to 1 or 2 a year. interesting about this zoo was the acquarium that surrounded you as you walked through it, the monkey with one arm - so amazing to see how he's adapated to his handicapped life!, and the infant gorilla that sustained such as injury that he was removed from his mothers care to be carefully tended by 'surrogate' moms (humans) that wear gorilla vests so the baby can hang on and recuperate - a great afternoon!
4. last night we went out to UpStream - a local grill and brewery. it was de-li-cious. i had crab and spinach stuffed shrimp - need i say more? joel had one of the sweetest and spiciest ribeye's ever - also delcious. plus - our company was great. we all chatted about football (mostly one-sided by joel) as my husband was trying to avoid hearing any updates since he wanted to watch the notre dame game live when we got home tonight, and about what its like to be aunts and uncles.
5. after our scrumptious dinner we somehow managed to force down some maggie moo's ice cream. i've never heard of this before - its comparable to cold stone but not as disgustingly sweet and filling. joel and i shared some choc ice cream with peanut butter, peanut butter cups, and reese's pieces mix-ins. again, very yum.

thanks josh and julie for hosting us and letting us push your couch's together every night to make a funny bed :)
we can't wait to see you this holiday season when you come back our way!

weekend recap

what a whirlwind of an autumn weekend!

friday joel and i hung out at my parents all evening with my parents, stephen, david, adam and jill and their three toddlers. it was so fun! we all laid in the living room reading the newspaper to each other, laughing at ourselves and just talking about life. i really cherish those moments, it was so relaxing and refreshing. jill made these AMAZING cookies for us. they are cookies made from cake batter - i mean, seriously!? could i love a dessert more?! (the answer is 'doubtful'!). check your next cake batter box for the recipe option of making cookies - yum yum yum - thanks jill!

saturday joel, his sister roni, and her boyfriend robert and i drove up to michigan for their grandparents (bushie and jodgie) 50th anniversary party. but not before getting up late, a mad dash to heyerly's to buy donuts for my brothers and the little kids, an outfit-picking-out nightmare that resulted in me taking 2 outfits to michigan and not liking either of them, and a stop by in ossian to make sure our tent for loving options fundraiser the next day was set up in the proper spot. whew. that was all before 10:30 am...
we made it to michigan - ran around a bit finishing setting up for the 'reception' and then went to bushi and jodgie's so the girls could spend 2 hours getting ready and the guys could watch some football (note: joel got ready at an hour early so he wouldn't have to get up during the precious few minutes he had to watch the notre dame game before we left for mass...). my mother-in-law kari, and my sisters-in-law roni and leslie and i had fun in the bathroom doing each others' hair and makeup and chitchatting. we all got in the cars and heading to the church for mass that was dedicated to ron and phyllis' 50th anniversary - it was very sweet!
the reception was so fun! the whole fam sat at the head table (18 of us!) which ruled because we all got to eat first! and then there was a slideshow of their wedding and life since then playing all night as we chatted with friends and danced the night away (don't worry - paradise by the dashboard lights made and appearance and i definitely lost my voice singing to it!) we made it back to the losinski's - great michigan friends and joel's godfather's house around 11:00 that night and hung out till 12:30 before i drove us home - we hit the sack at 2:30 to get up around 8:30 and start another day!

sunday we headed up to ossian for the loving option carnival fundraiser which was SOOO much fun! i haven't heard yet how much money we raised, but we sure did enjoy doing it! the cheap candy and prizes were delicious and fun to play with - not to mention the great time we all had together running games and playing with all the kids - i love my job!

now we are home, joel fighting a cold and me trying to get a lot done on my fall break from school before we hit the road at noon on thursday to drive to omaha to visit our great friends - the branyans! :)

sheering the sheep

last night joel and i busted out the new sheers for eme. this was our first attempt at using anything electric to combat the constant fluff we are surrounded by! it went slow and was awkward but did the trick. its going to take us awhile to get the hang of this. i like it, it was kinda fun! we had to let her sniff the whole kit and get used to the sound of the blade running...not to mention we watched dodgeball at the same time - shaving between laughing and repeating the silly quotes. this kit also came with a sweet pair of scissor-shears. we are so thankful for these. for the last year and a half we've been using cuticle scissors to trim her. that's right - cuticle scissors. wasn't a big deal when she was 7 lbs - but now she's 12 (or more, i don't want to think about it...) and those cuticle scissors wear on us and it usually takes us 3 days to get her all done! if i had the energy, interest, or expertise to upload pictures i would have done and before and after of her for this blog. but i didn't even think about that until now...

shout out to jill: she went looking like a ewe to brand new!

needing a day of rest

today i started running a support group for ladies at the alternative school. i am doing this for a school project and have had several hoops to jump through in the last 4 months. so today it finally begins.....and i wake up with a led head and feeling sickness coming on. nice. i drag myself to bible study this morning (because i love it, i hate missing things i love, and every week beth moore blows me away by her style of clothes and i did NOT want to miss that...not to mention the most important part - that i am in love with encountering God in this amazing group of women and having that as an outlet and a learning experience each week).
so joel does so medication research online and i head to the drug store right after to try to kill this cold in its tracks. i think i'm allergic to pseudophedrine...so i have to find something that doesn't have that or any of its close comrades in it...i settle for not knowing what to get, getting scared to try anything (i'm a medication whimp) and settle for getting airborne - which i hear many people swear by...so that's what i'm trying.
airborne + couch + 3 blankets + tea/decaf coffee + reading + 1 white fluffy puppy + new episodes of grey's anatomy and the office + a thoughtful, serving husband = relief (right?!)
that's my expectation of today/tonight.
anyways, back to my story. so i go to the alternative school (even though i want to call it off cause i'm scared and don't know what to expect and want these girls to like me and open up!) ant it goes soo well!!! they seemed comfortable, they laughed at my poor attempt at jokes, and they left smiling (the teachers said that was a great sign!). so i'm looking forward to developing this program for them and trying to meet their needs and show them Christ's love and healing.

so i have a day and a half to kick this sickness before heading to bronson, mi for joel's grandparent's 50th anniversary on saturday! (proud to have that heritage in our family) and then loving option's carnival at new hope lutheran church on sunday (come and support us!!!)
it will be a full and happy weekend - ended by one of the glory's of being a student again - FALL BREAK on monday and tuesday - yay!

tea pot timer

my newest habit is starting the stove to heat water for tea and then forgetting about until about 20-60 minutes later...yeah, i said 60. once, i went into the kitchen to find that my gas stovetop had shut off and my microwave fan had turned on all by themselves in a safety mechanism that kicked on after all the water had boiled away in the teapot and my mint green kettle had turned a burnt brown. nice.
i did it again today - but only forgot for about 20 minutes. my whistle on my kettle doesn't whistle - or not loud enough! what do i do?

also. i want to move to seattle. heaven to me would be a place where it rains more days than not. what could i do for a living if i moved there? what would joel do? (maybe i could work at seattle grace and meet meredith grey...and mcdreamy and mcsteamy)

motivation

i haven't written for a week! i haven't felt like i have anything to say or contribute...which is why i decided to write about motivation
i have been struggling for the last year with staying motivated...keeping up on homework and projects for graduate school, running consistantly, getting up early, wanting (as opposed to having) to do my work for the crucible - a 2 year discipleship class at church, eating breakfast every morning, trying to eat healthy in general, reading for leisure every day, staying on top of my tasks at work...(i suddenly notice all of these 'motivation' issues revolve around me...am i selfish?!)
i KNOW that when i get up early, go for a run or walk, and eat a healthy breakfast my day will just naturally go better!
when i am on top or ahead in my school work - classes and reading for school is more enjoyable!
having the desire in my heart to learn about and grow closer to God brings internal and external joy
i have soooo many books on my 'to-read' list and i want to know why everyone loves them so much! - but its easy for me to cut that out of my day...

ugh. am i depressing you!?
that is not my intention...writing all this out is another reminder for me to do it!
(i did get up early today. didn't run, ate a healthy breakfast, am babysitting for a friend's almost 3 year old and intend on doing a lot of homework and leisure reading today...so far i feel pretty good - i just hope it continues!)

any additional suggestions or encouragement is most welcome :)

too much macarena

we did it.
we broke out the 'leadsinger' karaoke!!!
1. heard it through the grapevine - marvin gaye
2. check on it - beyonce
3. love shack - B52s
4. macarena - um. the spanish people del rio or something
5. lullaby - something mullins

this is hilarious. please - all of you come over and join us!

the husband

he's fantastic. i came home to a lovely, sweet smokey-smell fire in our fireplace. not to mention he's been wonderful for the last 72 hours - nonstop wonderful. i could live with this. i love him and i love marriage! Thank you God for Your blessings that overflow :)

(i just had to gloat)

my mom said i'm a quarter of a century...

so...i'm 25.
the drivers licence update was, of course, a silly process - i tried to do the closed mouth smile, got confused about when the picture was going to be taken and now have a half-smile/smirk expression that is stupid. yay - can't wait until 31 to update that picture!

also - i had a swarm of fruit flies in my car (for about a month) due to a 2-3 month old banana peel in my car trash. it was nasty and finally threw it out - the fruit flies magically have disappeared

back to birthday. joel is so amazing...there are many reasons, i won't list them all, but i love him! he made the day so special and focused on me - it was paradise! (he does this normally anyways, but because i was in the majestic birthday mood - he gets extra points!) guess what he got me?! GET READY FOR A PARTY LADIES - a kareoke set!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i need two back up singers please. i can't wait to try it out tonight! (hopefully, i get home from class around 9:15)
we also went to see 'love happens' - i won't spoil it - but will give a review: it is not so much of a romantic comedy as it leads on - joel and i were the 2 out of 10 people in the theater not weeping through the last third of the movie...as a therapist and a caring/loving person, i recommend it! probably not a date movie...but maybe, depends on what your date is like or likes...

the weather is crazy here today! our front door keeps blowing open from the wind!

favorites

i'm sure every blogger has this topic at some time or another... i know you guys know me - but maybe you'll learn something new!
these are my favorites today:
1. rainy days - i have loved these forever...i am especially loving this rainy week - for whatever reason they make me feel so cozy and loving and secure
2. the mark of the lion series by francine rivers - these books taught me a lot about how to be a woman after God's own heart - if you haven't read them, it is well worth your time :)
3. playing settlers of catan online - i have recently been addicted to this and previously played it every single day for a few weeks...the site i played on recently went down and my brothers are trying to get me to play on this dutch site...its hard. i have to put everything into an online translator!
4. moscato and framboise - these special spirits are classy and i enjoy them on special occasions - i hope i have or will share a glass someday with all of the classy ladies that read this :)
5. watching intervention on a&e - this show encourages me in my aspiring profession - there are so many people hurting...or should i say we are all hurting in different ways and could all use a dose of 'i love you's' from our families and friends and encouragement to change for the better (if you don't get a&e, search for intervention online or at your local library!)
6. http://www.pandora.com/ - for a gal who likes music that is on no public radio - this is heaven sent! i am currently really into my hymn station - it literally lowers my blood pressure (and joel named it 'hymntastic') i also listen weekly to my grey's anatomy station...
7. http://www.postsecret.com/ - insert my reasons for liking this from #5
8. nightgowns - i remember loving these from about age 3-7 - but now that i am married and received many from bridal showers, i have a new love for them - they are flattering at any weight (and any time of the month!) and make me feel sexy even when i'm alone!
9. exercising with eme - eme is my own visual accountability partner for exercising, not to mention a bodyguard in wee morning darkness hours and a motivator to keep going! one of the million reasons i am so thankful for her!
10. cuddling - i need this daily - preferably joel...but always with eme and on special occasions any of our six (and counting!) nieces and nephews - also included in cuddling must be whispering and giggling/smiling

what are a few of your favorite things?!

its tough being a woman

i am a part of a wonderful group of women. we meet every thursday morning to fellowship together over the word of God. our recent Bible study is a beth moore study of esther. i HIGHLY recommend it! the tag line is 'it's tough being a woman'. if you know anything about the story of esther in the book of esther in the Bible, you can understand how this is an appropriate subtitle. i was so moved by today's session that i wanted to share it.

our topic was 'mean girls'. i will give you a sentence overview of points she made today and scripture that convicted me. i hope this brings you all insight as well.
it's tough being a woman in a mean world
meanness always has a history
there is nothing meaner than a coward
meanness perceives a threat
- 2 corinthians 10:12
- identify the threat
insecurity is as the heart of every rivalry
- who is our rival? and why?
- how much energy am i wasting on it?
meanness catches like a a virus
coming in contact with a mean girl raises up your own mean girl
meanness is curable
- romans 12:17-21
you be nice, you do not serve her or bow down to her, you love her

this may be an overwhelming and packed blog/message - i intend to meditate on it and remind myself of these scriptures frequently as i am working through my own issues in life with woman-woman relationships

these video sessions are available for (a NOT free) download at www.lifeway.com/women

i thought i would not have anything to share or wouldn't know what to share...but i'm already keeping a list of future posts...telling about our sweet pup Eme, describing our families, advocating for pandora online radio, and so much more...tune in again soon!

explaining my title

a couple weeks ago while laying in bed with joel, i told him that if i ever started a blog i would name it 'perpendicular pillows'. well that comment got my mind wondering if i really did want to enter this exciting and confusing world of blogging. i have a few close friends that blog - and i love following them on their artistic and literary journeys. one of them began begging me to start this as i shared with her my idea - so here it is!

i guess i should explain my title of perpendicular pillows. in the warm brown and champagne colored bed i share with my husband, we have recently become aware of the phenomena of our pillow placements. joel sleeps with his pillow horizontally - like a normal person. and for some reason mine is vertical - like a random person. this realization holds so much truth and information about joel and i as individuals and as husband and wife. thanks for joining me as i honestly explain my life :)