BananaMonkey.com

A typical Amber and Justin conversation:

Amber: Can I have/get/change this?
Justin: That sounds expensive.
Amber: Unless it’s free.
Justin: True…..

Title quoted from Ralph W. Emerson

For many people, Lent is a time to give something up.  Three of the reasons we do this is to 1) practice self-control, 2) to identify with Jesus’ suffering, and 3) to reflect on our wrongdoings.

Now typically, I do not give up something for Lent.  I play the “I’m not Catholic so I don’t have to” card.  While completely valid, this year I found making an excuse to escape a little lesson in self control to be ridiculous.  I decided to give up a couple of items that I love more than breathing: chips and popcorn.  Now you may say, “love more than breathing? You are nuts” and I would say “Yes I am.”  Eating Doritos wouldn’t be so bad if I ate a small amount during the day, but I tend to eat half the bag late at night.  I am what you might call an emotional eater.  Often I am not even hungry nor will eating those chips fill any sadness that I may be feeling at that moment.  Nonetheless, it is what I do.  Giving chips and popcorn up for me will mean quite a lot to me and my faith walk.  Instead of eating the chips, I will remember why I am not.  I will remember that I able to be sitting there not eating Spicy Nacho Doritos because Jesus Christ suffered on a cross for me.  While at some of my weakest moments I may think that I am suffering just as much as He did, I will know that I am not.  I will think about my day and about the moments I denied Him, about the times where I swore, or did not respect myself, or ignored His beautiful sun because the snow piles are still taller than me.  I will not each chips or popcorn because I am taking those moments in my day to savor His creations.

Along with giving something up at Lent, many people try to take something up during this time.  Some reasons for doing this include 1) to address personal habits they do not like, 2) to introduce acts of service or outreach, and 3) to simply make more time for God.

While I am eating no chips or popcorn, I will be adding something to my life – this here blog!  I go through phases of my life where i blog a lot, blog a little, or can barely remember the name of my blog.  Despite that, I love to blog and I want to keep track of what is going on in my life.  Especially right now as grad school is just beginning and marriage is becoming more and more exciting.  While blogging will help me remember what I did on this day at this time in my life, I am hoping that it will remind me to reflect on the blessings I have received on this day at this time in my life.  God is everywhere.  He is in everything.  Every choice I make and every action I take needs to be focused on Him.

This all being said, I am sure there are many of you that are giving up or adding something for Lent.  I wish you all the best of luck and please remember who we are doing this for.

Our first Christmas of the year was spent with Justin’s mom’s side of the family last night.  It is so great to get together at the end of the year to reminisce about what has happened and what we are looking forward to.

In the past year we have added a new baby to the family as well as a new marriage.  Justin’s cousin John and his new wife Kayla welcomed baby MaKenna into our family in June.  It is so exciting to watch her grow even though we do not get to see them very often.

We were able to talk about Justin’s cousins Chrissy & Nikki’s new house and discuss new jobs, college paths, and futures.  What a great time!

I was blessed with fantastic gifts from everyone.  Receiving gifts is my primary love language, so you can imagine how wonderful Christmas is to me.  Along with some gift cards, money, and jewelry, I received the DaVinci Code and Angels & Demons, Bones Season 4 and You’ve Got Mail.

We are now on our way to Christmases 2009.2-2009.4!  More about those soon!

Just a quick life update.

I have a new job at St. Catherine University.  I love it there.  The people are all great and I am very happy.

I have applied to grad school, so I may get in and I may not.  It’s all in God’s great plan for me, so I will follow as He leads.

Justin and I are doing well.  We certainly have our moments, but we get through them like we always have.

Not much else to report.  I am going to try to start updating this a bit more regularly.  maybe I can get Justin to design a new layout for me!  yeah right!

It’s Thursday, which is a great thing because Thursday’s are my favorite day of the week.  I am going to go home tonight, cook manicotti for my wonderful husband, do a bit of cleaning and watch some great television!

Well I didn’t die.  Thank you Jesus!

I am amazed how much I took my arm for granted.  I will have full use of it soon, but it is so weird how great of a loss one surgery does to the muscles in your shoulder!  I just hope that after all of my therapy is done, the pain will all be gone too.

During my Vicodin filled days, I have been keeping my brain moving with Sudoku!  Unfortunately they are all difficult to read since I had to use my left hand.  I am practically ambidextrous now!

I have had so many people taking wonderful care of me!  I so greatly appreciate how much people helped me.

Also, many of you were worried about how well Justin would take care of me.  I was pleasantly surprised how amazing Justin was!  Despite teasing me about dying and having the abilities of a 5 year old, he has been so great.  I love him so much and am so blessed to have him.  I have had a great look towards our future during this time and have seen how great of a father he will be.

I feel like I should update my blog seeing as I have this goal of updating it often.  It’s not like I am too busy to do so, I just forget to do it

On Wednesday I am having shoulder surgery.  Not a huge deal, just fixing some things that are wrong with it.  Besides getting my wisdom teeth pulled, I have never had surgery before, and I am a bit terrified.  They aren’t even cutting me open, but I think my problem is that I watch too many doctor shows so I have seen the incredibly unlikely scenarios happen all too often.  After the surgery I have to be monitored for 24 hours to make sure I don’t have a funny reaction to the anesthesia.  Justin can’t be at home the whole time, so he wants to set up a webcam.  Sounds like him doesn’t it?

In other news… still no job :-/  I fortunately have many smaller jobs that keep the bills paid.  I am very grateful to God for this because I could have nothing.  I just didn’t picture life after college to be the way that it is turning out to be.

The great thing about not having a “real” job is that it doesn’t really matter overall.  I have a great life!  I am married to someone that I love very much no matter how much we argue about the right way to do things!  I have a loving family and great friends.  Plus I have God, who provides for me and never lets me go.

Sappy, I know… but what if this is my last post?

If it is… Dad gets my car

I graduate in less than 3 months!  HOLY CRAP!  This means I really have to get my act together and finish all of my homework well and quickly.  Psh yeah right.

I love talking to people.  I think I am pretty good at it and I would like to do a lot of it.  Sometimes it is hard for me to talk to people though that I do not have a topic set up for.  For example, at Justin’s family gatherings I am often quiet.

Bringing those last two paragraphs together… I need to start looking for a job.  Although I do not really want to work ever again in my life, I need to.  I really like expensive things!  Every semester when I register for classes (and when I change majors) I have the entire thing figured out perfectly and I usually have back up plans.  My advisors were always very impressed and I barely needed them to figure anything out for me.  that said, I think I would like being a college academic advisor of some sort.  I would love to work at the U doing so, but you need a masters degree.  So I am thinking about trying to find a job at St. Kates or St. Thomas.  (Those schools because if I go there and decide to get my masters, I can take classes at a discount.)

Also, I love Justin!  Being married is really great.  I do not really feel like a Gehring yet though, I still am a Radabaugh.  I am not sure how that mentality changes, or if it will just happen.  And talking to people about “My Husband” is definitely still weird.  It will all feel normal soon enough!