A look inside: BEING A FINISHER

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

BEING A FINISHER

Blog Party Homework Is Done!

Ok, ok, if I can finish a half marathon, then I guess I should finish my "homework" for this little Blog Party. I am only doing this so I won't be turned away at the door tonight. And for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, all the women who read each other's blogs are meeting tonight for a "Blog Party". But everyone had to post their answers to these questions before the party. So staying true to form, with just a few hours left, I finished the task!

What is your Motto?
Matthew 6:25-33
"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

What superhuman power would you most want to have?
Like the old "I Dream of Genie" show when she would just cross her arms and blink her eyes and it was done. I would love to blink my eyes and have the dishes be done or a beautiful dinner made, the floors cleaned, etc.

What makes you laugh?
Hmmm....Honestly I don't laugh very easily, I don't cry easily either. I am a very non-emotional type A personality. I'm logical, competitive, and practical. Do you still like me? If anything makes me laugh, it would be my husband. We have kind of merged our senses of humor together over the years. He knows how to make me laugh.

Cats or dogs?
Neither.
Do you like me at all anymore?

Would you rather be a little smarter or sexier?
Tough one, it's almost a toss up, but I have to go with smarter.

What's the one thing you'll never understand
Professional athletes and celebrities. The amount of money they make is insane, and dare I say, undeserving. While the rest of the world is living in poverty and dying of hunger, they're buying their 6th mansion....it's not right.

My life would be simpler if?
I didn't have to work

The big decision I'm currently wrestling with is...
Cash or credit.
I have always wrestled with this. To be perfectly honest, after all the bills are payed and groceries are in the fridge there is very little, if any, left over for anything else. There are so many things I want to buy for our home, so many things for the kids, so many things for ME, new handbags, new shoes, new clothes, and the list goes on and on. This time of year is particularly hard for me...I love Christmas. I love giving gifts, and I so badly want to buy everything from the Pottery Barn catalog, especially the matching stockings with our names embroidered on them, along with a matching tree skirt. But I don't, and I won't. This is where my motto comes in handy :)

8 comments:

February Jill said...: Liz, I would love to hang out anytime! You'll have to call us when you're coming through the area on Saturday night. Do you have Becca's cell? I can't bring myself to leave my number in a comment but we'll figure it out!

Also I ditto the Pottery Barn catalogue desire! I also want you to know that in my heart I marched right out and bought you and your family the matching stockings and tree skirt. I even scanned your blog to find the names of all of your family. I want you to know that if I had the extra $200, that stuff would so be yours. Jill; November 27, 2007 at 11:37 PM
Sharon said...: Great to see you tonight! And for a gal who "doesn't laugh easily," you sure do always have a bright, cheery smile whenever I see you! : ); November 27, 2007 at 11:57 PM
Valerie of Momia said...: Hi, LizzyG! It was great meeting you tonight. (So, you really DO exist out of "blog world"!) Keep up the blogging. I enjoy reading it!; November 28, 2007 at 12:02 AM
Anonymous said...: I am right there with you and that Pottery Barn place. :); November 28, 2007 at 8:11 AM
Rachel said...: I really enjoyed meeting you last night! You are just as darling as your blog!
Pottery Barn is my most favorite...and just wish they had more things on sale!!; November 28, 2007 at 9:42 AM
Julie said...: So fun to finally meet you last night! I'm glad you made it :)

I've always wanted the personalized stockings, too! So cute!; November 28, 2007 at 10:55 AM
Jen said...: Lizzy G...

I think it's great that you are so honest about yourself. I love that you are an admitted "non-emotional type A personality". You are logical. Love THAT.

You are the opposite of me...I laugh so loud at church it can be heard on Mosaic's podcast all over America. (kid you not, my hubby is mortified, as am I). I don't cry in public, rarely ever, but I bawl like a baby to Jeremy all of the time. (again, the poor guy)...and finally I am a wanna be type A. I'd love to be driven and go go go, but when it's all said and done, I'd rather watch tv and sit and blog.

Anyways...my point? I love who you are and that you're honest about who you are. Wear your uniqueness proudly. I am always drawn to strong non-emotional women...it's inspiring!

I'm so glad you guys got together last night. Wished I could've been there!! Sigh! Love, Jen; November 28, 2007 at 5:57 PM
Michelle said...: I loved reading this and getting to know you a little more! The cash or credit thing is sure a TOUGH thing this time of year... I am so with you!; November 28, 2007 at 9:46 PM

Words to Remember

"Christ's followers cannot expect better treatment in the world than their Master had. Let them not promise themselves more honor or pleasure in the world than Christ had. Let each live a life of labor and self-denial as his Master, and make himself a servant of all; let him stoop, and let him toil, and do all the good he can, and then he will be a complete disciple."
~Matthew Henry,
English Pastor 1662-1714

"I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess."
~Martin Luther King

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
~Jim Elliot

"I am a missionary, heart and soul. God Himself had an only Son, and He was a missionary and a physician. A poor, poor imitation I am, or wish to be, but in this service I hope to live. In it I wish to die. I still prefer poverty and missions service to riches and ease. This is my choice."
~David Livingstone

"I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others do the same. "
~C.S. Lewis

"I want Thy plan, O God, for my life. May I be happy and contented whether in the homeland or on the foreign field; whether married or alone, in happiness or sorrow, health or sickness, prosperity or adversity - I want Thy plan, O God, for my life."
~Oswald J. Smith

songs with meaning

If you hear one of these songs playing while visiting my blog, here is why it is so special to me:

I Will Be Here by Steven Curtis Chapman: I would listen to this song as a young teenager and dream about finding a love like this song describes. Guess what? God gave more then I ever dreamed.

Any Song by Keith Green!!! I first heard Keith Green as a young child and knew all his songs by heart. As a teenager, I loved his music because he is so honest and authentic. I also read his autobiography when I was in my teens. He is one of my all-time heroes! I remember my friends laughing at me when they were in my car, wondering why I would be listening to songs from the 70's. Yes, the music is cheesy, but the lyrics are simply amazing!

How Could I Ask For More by Cindy Morgan: My senior year of high school I was on homecoming court with four other girls, who were all good friends of mine. We all picked this song to be played during our ceremony. I still love this song!

Have I Told You Lately by Rod Stewart: The song Jon and I danced to at our wedding. I smile every time I hear it.

I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me: This song was played at Brian Ditchen's memorial service. Brian was Jon's cousin who he grew up with, and who I went to school with, and he was a dear friend. He passed away in March of 2004 in a tragic plane accident, he was only 28. It shook the core of our faith. The only comfort came from knowing, without a shadow of a doubt, who Brian lived his life for: Jesus Christ. He was a dedicated believer, and we can't wait to see him again. Every time we would hear this song, it touched us deeply, it still does. Heaven has become very real to us.

The Scientist by Coldplay: My younger brother, Ben, sang and played this song on the piano at my brother Jeremy's memorial service. Jeremy passed away suddenly in September of 2004, he was only 31. Once again our faith was shaken (see next song)....

Cry Out To Jesus by Third Day: Whenever I hear this song I am reminded of my brother Jeremy...."To everyone who's lost someone they loved, long before it was their time, you feel like the days you had were not enough, when you said goodbye....cry out to Jesus" I am reminded to turn to God in the midst of my pain and loss, and it's OK to go to Him with my questions

We Will Dance by Steven Curtis Chapman: My current love song. It so beautifully describes mine and Jon's relationship.

I'm Not Cool by Scott Krippane: This is Daniel's song.Not in a mean way. He absolutely loves this song and sings along with it every time. The funny thing is, it describes him perfectly.

She's a Dancer by Phil Keaggy: This is Sarah's song! It so sweetly reminds me of Sarah...."she's a dancer, she loves to dance, she's a singer, she loves to sing, she's a lady, walkin' round in mama's shoes, standin' tall in mama's shoes" Sarah has also been caught singing into the bathroom mirror. And when she was younger she put on many "dance performances" for us in our living room.

Olivia by Phil Keaggy: Obviously Olivia's song! I've sang this song to her since she was a tiny newborn. She knows the words and sings along now. Whenever I put this song on, she stops what she's doing and gets a big smile on her face, and says "my song!"

Beautiful by Bethany Dillon: OK I'm 32 now. And sometimes when I look in the mirror, the depression creeps in. I don't look like I did ten years ago, I don't see a beautiful young woman looking back at me. And that can get you down sometimes. This song reminds me that true beauty is who I am in God's eyes. I could be perfect in every way on the outside and yet not be beautiful in the eyes of God, and when it's all said and done, my life would have been lived only for myself. I want to be beautiful in God's eyes, I want Him to look inside my heart and smile, and most importantly, be pleased.

Who Am I?, The Voice of Truth, and Praise You In The Storm by Casting Crowns: All three of these songs are very special to Jon. These are three of his all-time favorites. These songs brought him close to God when he was going through a hard time in his life.

I Am by Nicole Nordeman: The first time I heard this song was at a Women of Faith conference. She played it live on the piano. It was so beautiful and moved me so deeply. God is truly my "I Am", He has been my one firm anchor through every season of my life.