update
Apparently I haven't said anything at all since the 17th. Can't think what I've been doing but clearly too busy to post here.
Let's see. Well I've finished reading my book - the Bondage Breaker - which I highly recommend to any Christians who feel like they're not getting anywhere with God. So now I've started on my next read - Waking the Dead. I've read it already but need to see it all again. This one is also on my highly-recommended list - in fact it's top of the list.
It's about what Christianity actually is and isn't.
What it isn't: being nice, obeying a set of rules, believing in God for fear of hell...
What it is: knowing the person whose stated purpose on earth is "that [people] might have life to the full", and living that promised life.
I absolutely love this book because it helps answer - from the Bible - what loads of people including me have asked themselves, namely "why would I want to be a Christian when it appears to mean having no fun at all and feeling guilty about every tiny thing whilst alive, and after death we're not sure but it might be singing with harps on clouds...?"
... so if anyone reading this feels like that, get yourself a copy. I can also give a longer synopsis if anyone asks for one. Here's the very brief answer - God is full of surprises. Guilt-trips aren't involved. Harps very much optional.
I also found a book I've been wanting for ages in the church library - Intercessory Prayer by Dutch Sheets, and then my friend has lent me one called a Woman after God's own heart, and I'm going to buy one called Captivating by the author of Waking the Dead... long reading list for the next month or so.
After that I will have to read something fictional and secular just to recover a bit. Suggestions welcome. :)
Other things I've done: joined the Ransomed Heart forums and got into a variety of discussions - those who know me know I enjoy a good debate. One thing I dislike about forums though is when you post a question or something and all the [looking for a word... begins with c??? means following... oh yeah, subsequent] posters seem not to have noticed you exist. What does one do about that?
On to junior news: baby is learning to sit up. He can lean on his hands, which is quite amusing because he wants to grab things but he's aware that if he lifts his hands he will fall over. So he's effectively stuck. He's still not sleeping very well but we have got his bedtime down to 8 p.m. now.
Mr. Iri news: Dan got a promotion! the best thing is it's exactly what he was doing already, but for more holidays, higher pay and best of all, no more flexitime - he can get to work when he likes and leave when he's done. Which of course means longer hours when there is a lot of work going, but at the moment there isn't. Yippee. :) So I guess God wants us here. Not sure what we might do with the money. Our first thought was New Zealand here we come but now we're waiting to see what else comes up. Pay off some student debt maybe.
And back to me again: I received the scrapbook I ordered for the baby. It's blue and green and has a Noah's ark on the front and baby animal stickers to put inside. Which is all a bit cutesy really (not very Susan Death!) but hey, he is a baby after all. And I don't have to use the stickers. But the paper it came with (it's a kit) is really nice, I've made three cards with it already. Yes I know that's not scrapbooking. But I like making cards, and two of my friends have had babies recently. One has called her son Clarence, which is pretty but practically unheard of in French; and the other has called her daughter Nadia. I like Nadia, it's a name I considered for Xavi had he been a girl. Daniel didn't consider it. ;)
Anyway so the scrapbook papers are going to good use. At some point I will get round to actually doing scrapping with them too.
Have also done a fair bit of baking. Today I made oatcakes and apple muffins. On putting the muffins in the muffin tray I was thinking "this batter is a bit doughy, not really batter at all, did I put both the eggs in, yes I did..." as you do. Well so after they'd been in the oven a couple of minutes I suddenly realised I'd left out the cup of milk that was supposed to go in! Surprisingly they turned out fine, if somewhat eggy-tasting. Didn't rise as much as they would have either I guess.
I also have a lovely recipe for spiced apple cake if anyone is interested - Vixx for example.
So there we are. Oh and we're having Xavi dedicated in church on Sunday while the in-laws are here. The speech on creationism has been put off to another week - thank you God. Dan and I might have had to stand up and shout things such as "that's not true!" and "what about the second half of the second law of thermodynamics then?", which would, I feel, have detracted from the day somewhat. If there's one [debated!] aspect of Christianity that seriously is not important enough to warrant pulpit time, it's creationism. I mean really - GOD DID IT. Does it matter whether he used evolution or not? We don't know everything, and the Bible doesn't say he didn't use evolution... anyway I won't start or this could be an even longer post. This way at least we can find out when it's going to be and arrange to be somewhere else that day.
There you go, my ten days in a nutshell. Have a nice evening everyone!
Let's see. Well I've finished reading my book - the Bondage Breaker - which I highly recommend to any Christians who feel like they're not getting anywhere with God. So now I've started on my next read - Waking the Dead. I've read it already but need to see it all again. This one is also on my highly-recommended list - in fact it's top of the list.
It's about what Christianity actually is and isn't.
What it isn't: being nice, obeying a set of rules, believing in God for fear of hell...
What it is: knowing the person whose stated purpose on earth is "that [people] might have life to the full", and living that promised life.
I absolutely love this book because it helps answer - from the Bible - what loads of people including me have asked themselves, namely "why would I want to be a Christian when it appears to mean having no fun at all and feeling guilty about every tiny thing whilst alive, and after death we're not sure but it might be singing with harps on clouds...?"
... so if anyone reading this feels like that, get yourself a copy. I can also give a longer synopsis if anyone asks for one. Here's the very brief answer - God is full of surprises. Guilt-trips aren't involved. Harps very much optional.
I also found a book I've been wanting for ages in the church library - Intercessory Prayer by Dutch Sheets, and then my friend has lent me one called a Woman after God's own heart, and I'm going to buy one called Captivating by the author of Waking the Dead... long reading list for the next month or so.
After that I will have to read something fictional and secular just to recover a bit. Suggestions welcome. :)
Other things I've done: joined the Ransomed Heart forums and got into a variety of discussions - those who know me know I enjoy a good debate. One thing I dislike about forums though is when you post a question or something and all the [looking for a word... begins with c??? means following... oh yeah, subsequent] posters seem not to have noticed you exist. What does one do about that?
On to junior news: baby is learning to sit up. He can lean on his hands, which is quite amusing because he wants to grab things but he's aware that if he lifts his hands he will fall over. So he's effectively stuck. He's still not sleeping very well but we have got his bedtime down to 8 p.m. now.
Mr. Iri news: Dan got a promotion! the best thing is it's exactly what he was doing already, but for more holidays, higher pay and best of all, no more flexitime - he can get to work when he likes and leave when he's done. Which of course means longer hours when there is a lot of work going, but at the moment there isn't. Yippee. :) So I guess God wants us here. Not sure what we might do with the money. Our first thought was New Zealand here we come but now we're waiting to see what else comes up. Pay off some student debt maybe.
And back to me again: I received the scrapbook I ordered for the baby. It's blue and green and has a Noah's ark on the front and baby animal stickers to put inside. Which is all a bit cutesy really (not very Susan Death!) but hey, he is a baby after all. And I don't have to use the stickers. But the paper it came with (it's a kit) is really nice, I've made three cards with it already. Yes I know that's not scrapbooking. But I like making cards, and two of my friends have had babies recently. One has called her son Clarence, which is pretty but practically unheard of in French; and the other has called her daughter Nadia. I like Nadia, it's a name I considered for Xavi had he been a girl. Daniel didn't consider it. ;)
Anyway so the scrapbook papers are going to good use. At some point I will get round to actually doing scrapping with them too.
Have also done a fair bit of baking. Today I made oatcakes and apple muffins. On putting the muffins in the muffin tray I was thinking "this batter is a bit doughy, not really batter at all, did I put both the eggs in, yes I did..." as you do. Well so after they'd been in the oven a couple of minutes I suddenly realised I'd left out the cup of milk that was supposed to go in! Surprisingly they turned out fine, if somewhat eggy-tasting. Didn't rise as much as they would have either I guess.
I also have a lovely recipe for spiced apple cake if anyone is interested - Vixx for example.
So there we are. Oh and we're having Xavi dedicated in church on Sunday while the in-laws are here. The speech on creationism has been put off to another week - thank you God. Dan and I might have had to stand up and shout things such as "that's not true!" and "what about the second half of the second law of thermodynamics then?", which would, I feel, have detracted from the day somewhat. If there's one [debated!] aspect of Christianity that seriously is not important enough to warrant pulpit time, it's creationism. I mean really - GOD DID IT. Does it matter whether he used evolution or not? We don't know everything, and the Bible doesn't say he didn't use evolution... anyway I won't start or this could be an even longer post. This way at least we can find out when it's going to be and arrange to be somewhere else that day.
There you go, my ten days in a nutshell. Have a nice evening everyone!