Imputedly rightous dishes

It's been a lot easier for me to visualise the difference between imputed and imparted righteousness since i've had a dishwasher. The ones that get clean have imparted righteousness, and the ones that aren't really clean but i really don't want to re-wash are declared righteous and put in the cupboard anyway.

Of course, in this analogy, my mother would be the Holy Spirit. She came to visit recently and did some dishes by hand, and i didn't even check them before i put them away.

Done!

I have finally completed my capstone project for my master's degree! This is a huge praise and a huge weight off my mind. Now that i'm done, maybe i'll finally get to start cooking and cleaning like a housewife should :) Its amazing, i was worried it wouldn't be done on time, and i got pretty behind on it, but i finally got it done right at the deadline. It seems i'm incapable of getting anything done unless i believe it needs to be done and i believe it needs to be done now. I can never seem to get anything done early. Oh well - i guess that's why we have deadlines.

Now i get to turn my attention to training our puppy (which i'll have to blog about sometime - he's adorable and teaching me a lot), reading books, and re-learning the guitar. Anybody know any good books for using the acoustic in Church?

P.S. It really wouldn't be fair not to thank my dad, who set me an example by getting his master's years ago, or my husband, who has been incredibly gracious through this process.

Requesting Donations from Businesses

I hate requesting donations from stores for things for the youth ministry. People don't return my calls, they leave me hanging - wondering about whether or not they're going to respond, and I generally feel like a second-class citizen. I figured that i was still entitled to good "customer service" even if i wasn't really acting as their "customer," but i guess once i'm not a source of money i'm not important anymore.

Loving the Archaeological Study Bible

My husband got me Zondervan's Archaeological Study Bible for my birthday, and so far i am loving it. The NIV isn't even my favorite translation anymore, but i've switched back for this one. In the few day's i've had it, none of the notes i've come across have contributed dramatically to my understanding of the passage at hand, but if you're into Bible study you'll find the extra information tantalizing. Thanks Phil!

Cathy and Irving

So, is anyone else starting to get worried that Cathy and Irving from the comic strip "Cathy" might end up divorced? I suppose i shouldn't be surprised if the days of cartoon characters staying together forever are over . . .