downside to being an extrovert

i think one of the biggest flaws i have as an extrovert is processing my thoughts out loud, which basically means i speak before thinking (or as some friends put it, i don't have a "stupid filter"). i've tried to think before i speak, but sometimes i'll refrain from saying one thing, only to let something else out. :P the funny thing is that i don't usually know what i say is inappropriate until i get a reaction from the people i'm talking to, and usually i don't mean the words to be inappropriate b/c i'm thinking of them in a different way than what's being interpreted. i need to acquire a good "stupid filter" (maybe i can find one on ebay).

will work for money. :)

it's almost been a full month since i've been unemployed. fortunately, we haven't felt the financial crunch yet of being on one income, but i have a feeling in the next couple of months we will. i've applied to a couple of part-time positions, but haven't heard back from any. but we're trusting in God's provision (which might come in the form of our savings :P).

i think the hardest thing for me about being a housewife right now is getting bored. many days of the past couple of weeks have been spent watching tv and doing nothing. fortunately, we're getting rid of our cable soon (fleeing from temptation! yay!). nat pointed out (after a day of vegging for me) that if i interacted with people during the day, it would be good for me. we lo-and behold, last week, i also got to go to play group with my church, and that was great for me (nat gets a gold star for knowing me so well). i think people interaction definitely helps me feel less bored and more energized to do things. :) i suppose, as a last resort, i could also do some housework to be less bored, but that's crazy talk! ;)

blog tag, i'm it!

fruittart tagged me today, so here are my answers. :)

1) What’s the most fun work you’ve ever done?

TAing introduction to computer science for non-majors. it's nice to teach a more "diverse" class where there are less than 80% males. ;) it was also really neat to see my students succeed in the course, especially when many of them thought programming was hard. :)

2) Name one thing you did in the past that you no longer do but wish you did.

play guitar. i bought a decent guitar and i stopped practicing after one summer. it's in our closet collecting dust. :(

3) If you could be apprenticed by anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you hope to learn?

eeks, i'm trying to think what i'm passionate about learning, and i can't think of anything, let alone anyone. :)

4) List two words that you wish were more accurate descriptions of you.

thoughtful and trusting (with regards to the Lord)

5) What are your top three passions?

God. this is one passion that i feel that i need to work on the most. sometimes i get sucked into the non-spiritual things and i get distracted. but i do love God and have a passion for showing His light to the world for the rest of my days.

relationships. being an extrovert, i love hanging out with people and being with people. sadly, i struggle with maintaining long distance relationships. :(

cooking. it's not so much actually learning new recipes as much as being able to cook for others. :)

6) Write a new question with which to tag the next person:

What would you do for your next vacation if money were no object?

go to japan, taiwan, and hong kong. basically, i just want to eat my way across those countries and visit some friends/relatives. :)

What is the most interesting place you have already visited?

rome because of the architecture and history in the city (it's neat being able to walk through the roman ruins!)

maui because of the beautiful natural scenery.

new question #6: What is one of your favorite foods/dishes to eat?

i think i'm going to tag: heart of grace, ichabod, blah blah blah, glorious joy

prayer rooted in Scripture

i had a very encouraging time at small group this past saturday. first, fruittart's husband made it home (with beloved 1 - 3) safe and sound right as small group started. that was just an extra blessing to see the family reunited. :)

the most encouraging part came at the end of the night where nat encouraged us to share our anxieties for this year, and to encourage one another through Scripture and our experiences. sharing with the women in the group was so encouraging. i was so blessed and amazed how each prayer request had multiple Scripture references that were thought of at the top of people's heads! it was truly amazing, and it reminded me of psalm 1:2-3,

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

i could see how each women has mediated on the Word as they shared and how they were like trees planted by streams of water. it was wonderful and such a reminder of 2 timothy 3:16-17,

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

welcome home! :)

of course of all the days that we had snow in colorado was the day we left. between the mountains and denver, there was about 8-16 inches of snow which meant that our normal 1.5 hour trip to the airport took 2.5 hours on friday morning. all in all it worked out well. we got to the airport pretty early, and we were able to watch the big trucks remove the snow from the runways. we also saw iceman1, 3, and 4 (we never found out where iceman 2 was) driving around de-icing planes.

we made it back safely, and on-time (thanks to a long layover in chicago). :) since returning, we've had team d come and visit, attended the richardella wedding, and played lots of games with team d before sunday.

we're trying to get back into the swing of things, but sleeping until 10:30am doesn't seem to be helping. there's always tomorrow. :)

my buns are burning!

after my 2nd time of cross-country skiing, i definitely feel the burn/soreness in my buttocks and thighs. whooo weee! as a note, you get mighty sweaty cross country skiing. you might think it would be refreshing to wipe out and get snow kicked up on your back, but sadly it's only refreshing for about a minute as it turns into cold wetness. :(

i've had a good time here in colorado doing lots of different activities. i thought i would be bored out of my mind as nat and ethan went downhill skiing during the day, but i actually had a lot of indoor and outdoor fun. for indoors, nat's mom helped me start my first crocheting project (a baby afghan), i played video games with nat and ethan, played board games with the whole thompson clan, cooked, and watched lots and lots of football. :) for outdoors, i went cross country skiing (and still managed to freak out and wipe out going down little hills), snowshoeing, ice skating, and hiking. :)

i wish i could share the blue sky and this gorgeous mountain views with you. it is truly amazing and breath taking to see God's creation out here. nat and i couldn't help but sing worship songs as we snowshoed past a view of the continental divide. maybe one day you can join us out here!