Third Street Thoughts: I have a cold

Today I have one of the worst head colds of all time. My eyes are puffy, swollen and watery, my head feels like it weighs twice as much as the average 9-10lb human head, my left ear is clogged (or sounds that way anyways) making my the crunch of my Cheerios drown out the show on ESPN about concussions and helmets in the NFL, my nose is running with a ferocity that reminds me of the time our hot water pipe burst last year. Ugh. I know better than to look these symptoms up on WebMd because everything you look up on WebMd tells you have the "C" word. I was supposed to help in the "toddler room" today for Sunday school, but I couldn't risk passing this cold along to one of them. Ed was so sweet today, he offered to go in my place and teach the little babies. I love that he went for me and can't wait to hear the stories I'm sure he will have. There is always something funny that one of them says.

While I am sitting at home getting better, I thought I would reflect on something our pastor said a few months ago while we were studying 1 Peter. He said, "Behind every sin is a lie about God". I wrote this down in my bible because I knew that these words were something I should reflect on:

Maybe God would tell you about a different sin, but one of my sins (there are many more), has been clinging to my back for as long as I can remember. WORRY, ANXIETY, and FEAR.

I worry about things like money, wondering if I will ever have enough. I worry about our fixer-upper house. What will break next? Can we afford it? I worry about my job. Am I good enough? I stand in my business suit and stumble my way through lengthy presentations to angry physicians hoping my presentation skills aren't the only way my boss will evaluate my skills or my future potential.

The lie that my sin tells about God is that he isn't our provider, that he doesn't treasure us, that we aren't safe in his arms and even more that we can't put all our trust in Him.

What a lie! God is our provider! Each moment I spend in comfort is from him, even my Totinos party pizza that is in the oven right now, it's from Him. We may not always understand why we may suffer and feel deserted if God is a provider, but I do know that we suffer for God's purpose and that our hardships foster dependence on God. I have to learn not to worry even when things might really be bad or seem worth worrying about.

"Let your reasonableness be known to everyone, The Lord is at hand, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4: 5-7

I am learning to stop believing that I deserve a problem free life, and learning to recognize and stop my worrying in it's tracks instead of falling into my cycle of worry, repent, worry, repent.

Sorry if that was a little heavy.....on to lighter stuff...

Ed turned thirty! We had a little get together at a bar closer to our house and my mom gave him the shirt she got on her thirtieth birthday, which he has to pass down to someone else : ) Ed proudly changed into his birthday shirt right there in the bar.

There was a lot of dancing with a few of Ed's special moves.

Then he got a little sweaty from doing all those special moves and being kind of old and all : )

Ed and I went downtown last weekend for his Farmer's Insurance party. Dinner was at Kemolls and we stayed downtown and the Drury.

Us all fancied up!

Each agent was introduced at the party and had to walk down the red carpet. Each agent got to pick their own song to walk down to. Ed picked the always classy DMX, Ruff Riders