Monthly Archives: May 2012

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"When did you tell me that?  I didn't hear you say that."

"I told you three times the other night."

"Well, I didn't think you were serious."

"So you did hear me."

"I might remember something about it, but I'm remembering it differently than you do."

What an awkward conversation.

Conversations similar to this have repeated themselves across our 17 years together. I never set out to ignore or to contradict or to undermine, but it sure has come across that way at times.

It's a terrible feeling when we have hurt the one who is closest to our heart.

Yes. This is how a conversation went after Rylie's graduation that Jason and I attended with one car.

Jason: I'm going to go ahead and take the two big kids.

Me: Ok. The car is parked on the street by the two-story house on the corner.

Jason: Ok.

Me: (Looking for the keys-He waits for me to find them then starts walking

without the keys) Where are you going?

Jason: Home.

Me :But I have the keys.

Jason: Ok.

Me: How are you going in the car without the keys?

Jason: I'm not.

Me: Then what are you doing?

Jason: We're walking.

Me:Why didn't you just tell me that when I was telling you where the car was parked and while I was looking for the keys?........

Our conversations, or lack thereof, can be frustrating and disconnecting. We sometimes remind me of oil and vinegar; a vinaigrette.  I love a good vinaigrette on my salad.  I occasionally make it at home for our salad. Though oil and vinegar go wonderfully together, the two ingredients have to be briskly whisked by a strong hand. And to keep the vinaigrette from tasting too tart, you have to keep whisking.

Communication can be a big source of frustrations in a marriage.  There are times that we are just not on the same page. It doesn't happen often, but it happens often enough to make me want to try to avoid it in the future.

One problem lies in the fact that men and women think differently.  We approach our world from different perspectives.  It is difficult to put yourself in the place of another.  You cannot listen well without trying to understand the other person from their vantage point.

Sometimes the frustration is compounded by assumptions we make.  In the conversation above I was assuming Kristi knew certain things, Kristi assumed I was going to do certain things, and you can assume that we broke from that conversation thinking the other was goofy.

We heard one another's words, but we were not listening from the perspective of the other.  I think putting yourself in the place of the other is the key to great communication.  If we are going to have great communication we need to be mindful to share more with each other than just the facts.  When we communicate feelings and ambitions and goals we are giving our partner a better foundation to be able to listen to us from.

Assumptions are easily and often wrongfully made when we we're not deeply invested in the conversation.  At Rylie's graduation, we were busy.  Many times I'm rattling off, telling Jason things he could care less about.  I approach him some times when he is exhausted. There are probably days he is wary to approach me at all. As different as we are, God is helping us gain a knowledge of what it means to listen and respect one another. Now if we could just be faithful in exercising that knowledge. Oil and vinegar. Thankful for a mighty hand that binds two hearts together that otherwise would have less savor on their own.

Do you have similar stories of miscommunication/ or lack of communication?

Our conversation was compared to oil and vinegar.  What would you compare

your conversations to?

Follow Jason at www.pastorburden.com

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My in-laws brought fresh tomatoes with them this past weekend.  Fresh tomatoes plus salt makes for one happy girl.  I can't believe I spent the first eighteen years of my life unaware of their tasty goodness.  Jason feels the same way about coconut pies.  And he tells everyone.  He received thirty-something coconut pies from our sweet church family one birthday not so long ago.  So shamelessly I decided to tell the world that I love tomatoes hoping that some sweet local gardener might get the hint and share one, or ten of those red beauties with me.

Hayden shared a fun story with me last week.

Every semester, I believe Philpott Motors gives away a car to one lucky student with perfect attendance.  With all the students crowded into the auditorium, questions are asked to all students.  Those students with answers that apply are allowed to keep standing.  When those hundreds of kids standing are narrowed down, remaining students are allowed onto the stage.  Hayden got to be one of those kids. The question was asked, "Who of you have the same name as the name of a place" to which Hayden answered into the microphone "Hayden Valley, Wyoming".  I so enjoyed hearing him tell the story.  I think he had the best time making it to the stage, and then getting to speak into the microphone.

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 34:8

Jason doesn't like tomatoes.  He's tried them.

Hayden didn't win that car.  But there's something about having been able to get on the stage. It must have been exciting to get one step closer to that car than those who had to sit on the floor seats below.  I wonder how it felt for Trevor, who won the car, to be handed those keys.

I know one thing.  As good as a room temperature salted tomato tastes to me, and as good as a cold coconut pie tastes to Jason, there is nothing compared to the goodness of the Lord.  Winning a car has to be exhilarating, but the newness will fade.

We can take a step closer to the Lord leading to ever-increasing glory in our lives, though likely there will be steps back too.  But as we proceed into His presence we will see that He is very good.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; you won't be disappointed! 

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This past Sunday, God's Girlies met, focusing on loving God through loving our neighbors.  Summertime presents the perfect opportunity to do just that as we tend to bend from our schedules a bit.  The days are longer.  We may do some traveling, but whatever our schedule we seem to have more contact with people.  So God's Girlies made a craft that will aid them in their reaching out and encouraging a neighbor,... or twenty.

I have to confess my admiration for Jeanne and Krista Bergeron.  They do crafts.  And when I say they do crafts, THEY DO CRAFTS.  They make it look easy.  They make it look fun.  And the finished product is always adorable.  Is it admiration or jealousy, I'm not sure.

 

Here's what they did:

They had the girls make a cute cloth pouch with a fabric piece. They glued and vel-croed the cloth to fasten it in envelope fashion.

The girls decorated the pouch with spangles, ribbon etc.

Small cards were made possibly using Google or Yahoo images.  The images were printed on card stock and cut-out to be placed in the pouch. Hallie's cards included verses, sweet sayings, jokes and cute pictures.  Be creative.

Application Idea:

Jesus says in Matthew 25- Whatever you have done for the least of these brothers of mine, you have also done unto me

 Loving the least of these may refer to loving those hard to love, those we're not familiar with, or those in need. Neighbors are those who are in our proximity and those we have encountered in the past.  Encouraging these neighbors in Jesus' name gives glory to our Savior.

These mini cards can be given to a neighbor down the street, the boy at the sno-cone stand, a cashier at Target or an elderly lady at a nursing home.  A card and a smile brings a bit more of Jesus to the world.  And it sends a bit of love to Jesus too.

 

 

 

Don't cry because it's over.  Smile because it happened.

-Dr. Suess

This week, and last week for some of you, is a week filled with emotion. - A feeling of anticipation and pride mixed with some sorrow.  I know Rylie is only graduating from Kindergarten, but I feel Jason and I are starting to experience the First- of THE LASTS.  We have passed the chapter of rocking little ones to sleep.  Rylie has lost all of her front teeth. I took pictures of the last toothless smile as those "big girl" teeth are growing in.  Hallie has said goodbye to elementary; Hayden to junior high -just last year.  I gave Rylie her last Kindergaten kiss this morning. 

It's really ok to feel sad. It just means that something deep of heart has happened in the first place. Experience has been had, worthy of our wanting to hold on.

And for that we can be happy! 

Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words. - 2 Corinthians 9:15   NLT

Congratulations:

 Graduating Seniors -Friends from FBC Nederland, Trinity Friends, other friends and my second grade students from Chilton

Graduating Kindergarteners (including our Rylie)

and College Graduates: Jacob Allen and Noah Brown

Prayers for you and your families as you seek God's will in this new chapter of life.

 

Jason’s dad turned sixty this month.  Neatie, my mother-n-law is now retired.  Rylie graduates from Kindergarten this week.  Hayden likes three days finishing a successful first year of High School.  Hallie received an award for her DARE (drug awareness) essay this past week. We will very soon celebrate our first anniversary of being here in Nederland. We have many reasons to celebrate.  So today, as we were able to spend some time together outdoors, we gave the kids a puzzle to put together that had a message on it with some exciting news.

Jason and I have been talking with his parents, secretly planning a fun summer vacation that would enable us to appropriately celebrate these great occasions.  As Neatie and I have talked on the phone about our trip which will take place in July; my mind began to buzz.  A bit of my mom in me sprang into action.  I began to plan.  I would buy a book to get as much information as possible about our destination.  I have texted and talked with friends who have been there before.  I want to know exactly what to expect.

I want to be prepared.

In addition to getting prepared for our destination, I’ll just tell you.  I’m plain ol’ excited!  I do like surprises, but there’s something to knowing what awaits you beforehand.

 -It’s the anticipation!

I long to go this place I’ve never been. - The place I’ve read about and imagined in my mind. - The place where dreams come true.  It’s the place where, in my mind, my family walks hand in hand with nothing to do but enjoy each other and our surroundings.

It kind of reminds me of our future destination-heaven.  Hopefully all those we love have made preparations to be there.  Since I know little about our vacation spot outside of what I’ve been told, I’m going to make sure I know about where I’m going. I have the airline tickets online; got to make sure we have those for each one of us.  And I’ll tell you something else.  I’m going to spend the time between now and our vacation, the waiting time, being expectant of the good times to come.  I will anticipate the experience that will be with us for a lifetime.

It took us a while to put the pieces together, but we stuck with it.  The message became clear quickly for Hayden as he saw a small section of the puzzle completed with the letters “sney”.  Hallie thought she knew, but was unsure.  And finally as Rylie slowly sounded out the word we all joined in merrymaking….

 

 

 

We’re going to Disney World!

Summer Fun and Events

CAMP

A picture of our GA's, many of which are GG's, at camp.  Remember them in prayer as they spend the remaining days growing in knowledge and grace.

Picture of our last gathering

We will not have our regularly scheduled last Sunday meeting for June and July.  We do however have some special gatherings planned.

June 14, Thursday

5:00-7:00

 Banana Extravaganza

 Kristi and Hallie Burden's house

3011 Memphis    Nederland

Come to make a special treat, recipe cards and just to hang out.

Date and Time-To be Announced

Tabetha and Faith Franklin's House

Backyard Movie

Come and eat.

We'll make fireflies in a jar and learn how we can shine for Christ.

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE TRAVELING FLAMINGO DEVOTION (ALSO FOUND UNDER CRAFT AND GAME IDEAS) IF YOU MISSED TODAY.  WE HAVE A SIGN-UP SHEET.  GET WITH ME TO BE ADDED TO THIS FUN ACTIVITY.

LIST THUS FAR:

JUNE

5/27-6/2-Kristina/Sara DeVillier

6/2-6/6-Karen Neff & Kaitlyn

6/6-6/10-Tabetha & Faith Franklin

6/10-6/14-Jeanne & Krista Bergeron

6/14-6/18-Deanne & Morgan Tanner

6/18-6/22-Carrie & Anna Hughes

6/22-6/26-Jen & Emma Fournier

6/26-6/30- OPEN

JULY

7/1-7/5-Stephanie & Kyrie Perez

7/5-7/9-OPEN

7/9-7/13-Patti & Anna Oliver

7/13-7/17-Jordan & Rhyan Stoker

7/17-7/21-OPEN

7/21-7/25-OPEN

7/25-7/29-OPEN

7/29-8/2-OPEN

August

OPEN

You can email or call me if you need the address of the person you will be delivering the traveling flamingo to.  Call if you have other questions.  By the way, everyone was stumped with the Burden traveling flamingo photo.  If you missed today, here's our photo taken in Nederland.  Do you know where this was taken? You can answer in comments.

IMPORTANT: To get instant notification of GG's events and devotions, remember to subscribe to the website. (Found in upper right-hand corner on the website).

 

 

I'm sitting here in my new chair given to me by my awesome husband and kids for Mother's Day.  It's my prayer chair.  I have some guilt sitting here in this chair as I pray. It's way too comfy. I've dozed off while praying a few times.  I'd had the idea of having a prayer chair in our bedroom for some time now.  I wanted a quiet place with little distraction.

For some odd reason, besides taking me to a nap, my chair has taken me to the story of Moses.

And my friends, after some thinking, I decided in this post you are Moses.  Sometimes I'm Moses too.  Let me try and explain.

Moses, as we read in Exodus, just keeps trudging on.  I feel for him ,as I witness through scripture, the irritating cycle.  The Israelites complain.  Moses goes before God on their behalf.  God listens.  God acts.  They complain again.  I know Moses is tired of heart.  Do you ever get that way?  I pray for one of my children; that they would be more kind, behave less selfishly.  I know God listens to my prayer.  I know God acts.  But then I see them acting the same way.  Aren't we over this yet (I think to myself)?  Add to that, pure physical exhaustion and my prayer probably sounds more like a rant if I'm even praying at all.

I'm pretty sure you can identify with Moses at times as well. Do you ever feel you've prayed enough for a certain person or certain situation- lifted them up to the point that you are completely worn out. And are there even times you feel like you don't even want to hear yourself pray, maybe because you know you're living short of the perfect mark yourself?

Halfway through chapter 17 in Exodus, Moses is standing on a hilltop with the staff of God in his hands.  The Amalekites have attacked the Israelites and they're in need of intercession once again.  As long as Moses has his hands lifted, the Israelites were winning- THE PRESSURE!

So in thinking of yourself as Moses, this is where I come in. When Aaron and Hur, his partners in ministry, saw he could no longer go it alone-they put a stone under him for him to sit.  It then says, and I love this, "When his hands grew tired....Aaron and Hur held his hands up".

I would like to be your Aaron; or your Hur.  And I'd like for you to be my Aaron or Hur.

I can dutifully pray daily.

But I know that there are times when I'm distracted.

There are times when I'm exhausted.

And shamefully there are times when my faith is low.

Now let's get back to my new chair.  I had a thought.  You've heard of a armchair quarterback no doubt; someone who offers advice without really being in the game. No, I don't want to be your armchair quarterback. I know that no advice I could give would compare to my simply cheering and encouraging you- at times by your side; other times through prayer.

I want to be your armchair cheerleader.  And as a cheerleader calls out to the crowd on behalf of the players, I want to call out to God on your behalf.

After all, it's the only kind of cheerleader I could ever be.  I've lost any flexibility I had and I've never been too coordinated.  I can, however, cheer you on.  I can pray on your behalf when you're tired or frustrated or even when it's a matter important enough to be doubly prayed for.  And I would ask the same of you.  In those times when my prayers sound stale or maybe not so heartfelt, I would ask that you be my armchair cheerleader too.

My email- kristiburden@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

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It's our day together.

No work. The kids are at school. Jason has his laptop. I have mine.

I'm pretty sure Jason thinks I talk too much. I agree. But I'm on to something, I've discovered that when I type my thoughts.... I have to let some go—

1) Because I can't keep up with all of my thoughts and

2) Because some thoughts aren't worth sharing.

To even out our communicating, Jason and I have come up with a plan. We are going to interblog.

INTER--BLOG = A collaborative blog writing experience where each author builds upon and expands the thoughts of the other.

I talk a lot on Sundays and Wednesdays. I don’t talk a lot otherwise.

We can drive from here to Amarillo and I’ll never feel the need to say more than, “What do you want to eat?” Sounds pretty lame right?

It is.

But when you’ve known each other for as long as Kristi and I have been knowing one another, there is something deeper being communicated than words can express.

There is a joy of being in each other’s presence. There is a security in a love that is well established. There is a fondness that can be expressed through a look, or a touch. There is a fellowship enjoyed by two who are on a journey together.

I know a silent car ride doesn’t sound like the most romantic thing in the world. It certainly is weak on the WOW factor. But being beside my bride, for all of these years, for all of these quiet trips, has led to a WOW marriage.

I shared with a group of kiddos not so long ago what my idea of prayer is. It matches what Jason just mentioned.

A prayer can be "Dear Lord, You amaze me.......Amen". That's often been the way I speak to God; like we're having a long distance phone conversation.

If I am in the house with Jason, I don't tell him bye before I walk out of the room like I'm finished with him. I don't even say good morning. We are just pleasantly aware of each other's presence.

If we are to pray without ceasing, there are few "dear Lord’s" and "Amens" because the communication is continual—even in silence. Greetings are unnecessary. I'm thankful that God has given me a life-partner that I can enjoy being with 99.9% of the time (the other .1% accounts for an occasional mood moment).

Our close and steady relationship, I believe, is a beautiful picture of the kind of relationship and communication God wants with us. I say that in complete humility knowing that I am a mere speck of dust in comparison to God. That's what makes it all the more amazing—that he delights at my delighting in him.

It’s the important things that we take for granted. When we neglect to reflect on what is most important to us, we are in danger of holding those things in low esteem.

It’s sad when we only realize how special something is when it is taken from us. Here’s what I plan to do for both Kristi and for God today…

Be Intentional. I’m learning to say, “I Love You” to Kristi and to God throughout the day.

Be Creative. I’m going to be loving God and Kristi for a long time. I need to find many ways to express that love.

Be Real. God created me to love him from my heart, not from someone else’s idea of how I should love him. He wants my words, my affections, my honest reactions, and my true sentiments. This also applies to how we love our spouses. We need to give them the love that is absolutely true to our hearts. There are no techniques or gimmicks. There is only the real you, encountering the real them, in the context of real love.

Read Song of Solomon. It doesn’t get more real.

 

How do you pass your time together?

What conversations do you no longer have to have?

How has your faith formed the relationship you have with your spouse?

 

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  • I just so happened to take a bright-colored picture with a garden gnome on our recent trip to Shangri La.  I loved the colors so much I've been thinking about how this picture could fit in a post. 
  • So here goes....
  • The Origin of the Traveling Garden Gnome 

    Part of the current popularity of garden gnomes may be due to a prank known as "The Traveling Gnome" which begins with stealing a gnome from its garden, taking it along on a trip, and photographing it in various exotic locations.  The gnome is then returned to its owner with the photographs, often surreptitiously.  The first record of a traveling gnome is said to have appeared in a Sydney, Australia, newspaper story in 1986.  A traveling gnome also appeared in the 2001 movie "Amelie," and in 2004, the online travel agency Travelocity launched a viral marketing campaign called "Where Is My Gnome?"  The traveling gnome is now the official mascot and logo of Travelocity.  These and other pop culture references to garden gnomes have helped to increase the popularity of these traditional yard ornaments.

Ironically I bought a cute plastic flamingo in the dollar section of Target a couple of weeks ago.  I love the dollar section.  I've never wanted either of these fellas (gnome or flamingo) in my yard, but minds like mine which whirl about, come up with ideas every once in a blue moon.

The Big Idea:   .......A Traveling Flamingo

I'm thinking that our GG's group should have a traveling mascot of sorts.  My pink purchase will travel from GG houses and beyond.  So for example, if it's Hallie's turn with the flamingo, she has three days to take the flamingo somewhere. 

 We snap a photo (if convenient).

Write a comment about where the flamingo went (ex. to the park, Market Basket...) (the photo would be nice on the website too). Comments and pictures could be added to this page in the comment section.

Send the flamingo on to the next house.

With our traveling flamingo, we are intentionally spending time together,  Also, we may get to know a little more about the next GG on the list as we deliver the flamingo to their house.

Any name suggestions?