Hi Family! I totally forgot we had this, but I was reminded when I read up on Google's new privacy policy and looked up the information Google has on me... I'm actually thankful that Google was so transparent with their information as to provide a link to our old blog site!

Work

I love my job! And I love my family!

Back to the Grind

New Year's Resolutions have kicked in, and the gym is more crowded than I have ever seen it before. Over the weekend at LL Bean, we saw long lines of people returning and exchanging gifts they received from Christmas so that their shopping chore could be done before they returned to work and regular routines. The news is full of coverage of the national presidential campaign as well as the Philadelphia mayoral inauguration, and our church is starting the process of nominating ordained officers to their positions; in my communities, I feel a certain welcome pressure to get back down to business. Our downstairs neighbor, a student at a local university, returned from her holiday vacaction this weekend, and we have heard lots of noise from her apartment as she has been catching up with her friends and re-settling into her place. Everyone we caught up with today had a pretty good holiday but is glad to get back to normal life. Personally, I am thrilled to be starting my new role at my new employer tomorrow - and I am looking forward to settling into a routine at work.

In light of all that is going on with a new year and return to normal, busy life, I'm thankful that our church partook communion this morning. Although we all know the adage "Better to give than to recieve", I really experienced that it is more blessed to receive than to give. In a women's Bible study on Proverbs, our leader said earlier this year, (paraphrasing) "As Christians, our spiritual work is to believe the truth of the Scriptures and the Gospel message". In the new year as we all go back to the grind, the "to-do" list never ends, and to move forward and solve problems (and to satiate my natural Type-A personality tendencies!) I will feel compelled to work harder every day - to do more, give more deeply, and take better action. Good works are usually praiseworthy endeavors, but my real work - day in and day out - is to simply rest in belief.

Great Quote

I stumbled upon this great quote while flipping through the Modern Reformation magazine this morning. It seems rather appropiate for this time of year.

"There is little that we can point to in our lives as deserving anything but God's wrath. Our best moments have been mostly grotesque parodies. Our best loves have been almost always blurred with selfishness and deceit. But there is something to which we can point. Not anything that we ever did or were, but something that was done for us by another. Not our own lives, but the life of one who died in our behalf and yet is still alive. This is our only glory and our only hope. And the sound that it makes is the sound of excitement and gladness and laughter that floats through the night air from a great banquet."

Christmas music

Anyone have any good Christmas music suggestions? I was working in an office last week where the client piped Christmas music over the PA all week long. I am sick and tired of "All I want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey - I think it was played on the hour, every hour, for a week. For my auditory detox program today, I have been enjoying the standard collection of Christmas music I've accumulated over time - Christmas carols, hymns, and jazz standards. All of this music was written years ago, but I would be thrilled to receive any other song recommendations - whether the music is new or old.

Christmas wish list

Jason and I would like to submit an order now for Christmas-time tamales, fajitas, and margaritas, and I personally would trade my Christmas cookies for a serving of chips and real queso. We had home-made fajitas tonight using local ingredients, and although Jason did a fabulous job, we both really miss Lupe Tortillas.

Love ya'll from PA....

almost the weekend

well after 4 nights of not sleeping well and not napping much Ashton is finally catching up, too bad I didn't get to capitalize on it as well. So when are we gonna go camping? Ashton is all ready... Hope Dad has fun on his fishing trip, he sure is partying a lot lately..... "what ever I want, gaaa" :) Just for you RJP

And by the way what's the deal with using initials???? Isn't this a family blog???