Today is…

My cousin Leanne's Birthday!!! But you may know it better as St. Patrick's Day =o) So, to all of you out there who are Irish, and those of you pretending to be for the day, a St. Patrick's Day toast.

Saint Patrick was a gentleman
Who through strategy and stealth
Drove all the snakes from Ireland.
Here's toasting to his health.
But not too many toastings
Lest you lose yourself and then
Forget the good Saint Patrick
And see those snakes again!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Celtic Woman - Danny Boy

Who can resist an Irish song by an Irish group on an Irish holiday?

Happy Birthday Theodore Giesel

Today would have been Theodore Giesel's 105th birthday! Why is this a big deal, you ask? It's such a big deal because Theodore Giesel is one of the reasons I love reading so much... one of my FAVORITE authors!

Probably one of yours, too...

You may know him better as Dr. Seuss. The goofy genius behind Hop on Pop, Green Eggs and Ham, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish; and my personal favorites The Lorax and The Sneetches.

I wrote a Seuss-like poem in honor of his day and thought I would share it with you.

Joy's Ode to Dr. Seuss Books

I could read them
In a chair
Or right next to
A big old bear

I could read them
near a tree
while listening to
a buzzing bee

I could read them
laying down
and on my face
never a frown

I could read them
in a zoo
next to a monkey
or striped kangaroo

I have put down
my ball and bat
and read tales of
a mischievous cat

fun stories filled
with turtles named yertle
and all about pockets
filled with wockets

of places you go
and things you'll see
and I'll never forget
that book about me

of Horton and who's
and lorax and sneetches
of sam I am's
and foxes in sockses

of all Dr. Seuss's
creative mind benders
and ram shackled thoughts
flim-foozeled with splendors

I'm thankful each day
since the time I could listen
for his brilliant prose
that make memories glisten


In honor of the man who made our childhoods so much fun, you can print pages and color them with some crayola crayons (another childhood favorite for me!)

Today...

Someone came into the bank and told me that I

Look like Her

Apparently it's the eyes...

I took it as a compliment... haha =oP

Side Note:

I'm going to Boston for the weekend!!!

WOO-HOO!!!

See you next week.....

Isaiah 64:8

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I started taking a pottery class this year. It was, for me, a great way of being able to take time out to do something artsy at least one day a week. It really calms me & helps keep me less stressed out.

A lot of times when I'm throwing, it brings to mind Isaiah 64:8. I have always liked the imagery of this verse, ever since I started taking pottery classes in high school. I could really understand what it meant; about how malleable we are as humans, and about how much care it takes to shape the clay on the wheel while you're working it. If you've never seen it done, here's a montage of the pictures I took while I was in Gatlinburg, TN last August with my roommates (you can click on it to see it better).



Well, last night I was working on this pot:



And I was really nervous about it. You see, I've taken pottery classes numerous times in the past but our instructor at Studio S seems to think I picked up some bad habits from my former instructors. So, it's like I have to unlearn everything I was taught in the past to relearn it his way.

Yesterday, I had my instructor looking over me and occasionally telling me how to do something better, or how to make what I was doing easier. Sometimes he would take over and fix something I did incorrectly, a couple of times he praised me and told me he was proud of me; and it really made me think about how much it was like me in my life.

Just my everyday...

I started my life instructed in the ways of the world where we're taught it's all about us. We know basic knowledge of how were going to do things. How to make our lives look good and how to make it work out ok. And now, after being saved by grace, here I am now thinking I have this control and working on what it will become, but the whole time God is there watching over me, telling me how to do something better, teaching me ways to make what I'm doing easier (i.e. trusting Him & following His will). Sometimes when I am completely broken or have amazing clarity in my faith (I'm pretty stubborn...) I finally give up and allow God to take over my life and help me fix things... And someday, when I die and go to heaven, I will hear those words "well done, good and faithful servant".

I have the peace of knowing that the perfecter of my faith is in charge of it all, and I'm glad my pottery class reminded me of that...

Confession

I have always wanted to run a marathon.

I don't really know why, but it's something I've thought about and talked about (to a few people) for years. Now, while I'm working out about 4 days a week or so, I'm still not in the best shape of my life. Also, because my knees still sometimes bother me (not as often as they used to!!!!!!) the thought of running isn't always a pleasant one.

But, I've always wanted to run a marathon.

I wonder, sometimes, if it has to do with scripture that talks about "running the race" and "running with perseverance" and all of the subsequent sermons using marathon-type analogy's I've heard over the course of my life... it's just a sneaking suspicion.

It's made me want to run a marathon.

Now there are people who can attest to the fact that I have talked about wanting to run a marathon, and others I've talked to about training for/running one together. You know, that other person to help keep you motivated. it never worked out.

So today when I was looking at the DNJ and saw an article about running, I read it and thought again to myself "Someday I'm going to do this. Someday" Which is why I confess it here and now on this blog of mine.

I WANT TO RUN A MARATHON

There it is. Wide out in the open for all to read. Now what? I could probably lecture you on all of the things I've ever read (again, this is not a new thing) about the best way to start running and how to work your way up to running one. How if you decide to start running you should wait to actually do a competition for about a year to get yourself really where you need to be. But what should I do?

I'll be honest with you, I don't know that I'm disciplined enough to start running and making myself train for a marathon. After years of talking about wanting to go to the gym more, I am finally doing it... but running?

*sigh*

I want to run a marathon...

...but I think I'm intimidated.