Author Archives: Laurie Blundell

YEAH!!!

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My best friend, Jen, got engaged this weekend to her boyfriend, Jed. Jed took her to their family ranch Saturday morning and proposed there. Her parents had flown in the night before from Arizona so her sister picked them up from the airport and suprised Jen Saturday. Jonathan and I were on our way to Jed’s parents house Saturday night to see the happy couple and celebrate with them when Jonathan’s truck started making a very loud rattling and grinding noise. Keep in mind we just had the transmission rebuilt about 3 weeks ago. We ended taking the truck to his parents house in Mesquite so he and his dad could look at it. Well to make a long story short we had the truck towed from Mesquite to south of Waxahachie Sunday afternoon and is curently waiting fo the mechanic to look at it. Then we will probably turn around and sell it so we can get a newer truck with less mechanical trouble. Anyway to make a very long story short, we were unable to go see Jen, Jed and Jen’s parents. I felt horrible, I could care less about the truck at that point, I just wanted to share this time with my best friend. It was probably one of the happiest days of her life and I couldn’t be there at all and share the joy with her. I am so happy for them and wish them all the best–I love you guys!

Children’s

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Okay I have to vent for a minute–Children’s ceases to amaze me! It’s beyond me as to why they spend money on the things they do and not on the things they need to. There are so many things that need to be fixed or bought for our clinic but they won’t fix them, instead they spend money on uneccessary things. We have a door going into our lab that slams shut and could seriously harm a kid–the mechanism on the door needs to be replaced but it’s been a month and they still haven’t fixed it. We need more equipment to test our kiddos but we won’t be seeing that anytime soon. We need chairs for our lab, soap dispensers and things like that….but instead what does Children’s spend money on? Within the last year or two they have spent money putting flat screen plasma TV’s in the skybridge that employees walk on–why, I don’t know! No one looks at them, they just see them and say “that could have been a computer on our unit that we need” or heaven forbid give a bonus or small raise to the nurses or RT’s. But the latest and most annoying useless money spent was on a sign outside our lab. The sign we had was perfectly fine…it said “Pulmonary Laboratory” and the sign they replaced today now says “Pulmonary Lab”! Do you see a need to change the sign. The guy who was changing them just laughed as we asked him why they did it…he said “Got me, they’ve probably spent thousands of dollars with all the dumb signs they are changing.” You never know what you’re gonna get when you work for Children’s!

Angels

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Now stay with me on this one–it may be a lot of rambling and not so much sense. I was on my way to work this morning and just started thinking about guardian angels. I know a lot of people don’t believe in angels, but I for one do belive in them. Now you can argue whether or not each individual person has their own guardian angel or God just sends one for us at the times when we need one I don’t know. I tend to believe the last one. The early church understood that each person had their own special angel, but I don’t think that’s what most people believe today.
So my question is this, when we have our guardian angel, whether it’s ours through life or at that moment, when Christ calls us home does the angel just sit there with their hands tied behind their back and cry because we’re dying and there is nothing they can do? Or are they rejoicing because another child is coming home? When a child is dying and Christ said it’s their time, there isn’t anything the guardian angel can do because God has called this child home, so are they just sitting there with their hands tied, crying or rejoicing? But at the same time, my thoughts are the angel is comforting the child and their family during this time. Those are just a few ramblings and my thoughts for the morning drive. Any thoughts–and I could be way off on the subject!

Psalm 91:11-12
“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Exodus 23:20
“See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared.”

Masks

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I wrote the post that is below back some time last year about how we wear masks to cover up who we really are. Yesterday Brian spoke on masks and how if we wear masks we truly can not experience God-Likeness because we aren’t true to ourselves or others. We put on a mask to cover up who we are, maybe something we’ve done or are ashamed of. I know in the past I have worn masks, trying to not let people in and get to know me. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly taken those masks off and thrown them away, I’ve learned that this is who I am and who God created me to be, so why should I cover it up and hide it. I’m comfortable with how God made me and who he created me to be. I listen to this song by Casting Crowns and it just makes me think of exactly what Brian was talking about yesterday. We need to take the masks off so we can be more Christ like and become closer to those we come in contact with, at church, work, school or wherever it may be.

From November 2006:
Stained Glass Masquerade
by: Casting Crowns

Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin’ so small

Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they’ll soon discover
That I don’t belong

So I tuck it all away, like everything’s okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I’ll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the heart again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them

Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation’s open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who’s been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who’s traded
In the altar for a stage

The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart

But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be

Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay

I was listening to this song today on the way to work and I always sing along with it but never really listened to the lyrics. It’s a powerful message and all too real. I don’t know about you, but there are many times that I’ve felt like this, just wanting to hide how I feel and putting on a good face for everyone. Putting on this act is just what the song says a “masquerade”, you put on a mask to cover your true feelings and in doing that you never really let anyone in. On the flip side, we are so used to people asking how we are out of a basic courtesy but not truly meaning it so we just say “good” and both go on our way…this has taught us to keep our feelings inside and hide them. We think to ourselves, “They don’t want to actually know how we feel, so why tell them. We might scare them off.” For me, it’s not that, okay maybe sometimes, but mainly its just the fact that I don’t want to burden anyone. But that’s why we have family, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ. They are there for us no matter what and let us know we can be ourself and take off the mask. Are you the type of friend whose friends know they don’t need to wear a mask around you? I think I am and I hope my friends know they don’t need any kind of mask around me, ever! We need to get off the stage, put up the masks and just be ourselves.

Weekend

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When you first buy a house you have all the stuff you “Have” to do, unpacking, getting necessities like a water hose and sprinkler, hooking up your washer and dryer and all that stuff. Well this weekend I got to do the fun part of buying a new house. My mom and I went shopping on Saturday for things we “needed” (and yes, Jonathan, they were needed) for the house. We struck gold! We went to the all time favorite, hobby lobby and everything we bought was 50% off–yes you heard it right–50% off! Then we went to Bed Bath and Beyond and we still had some gift certificates left from our wedding and used some of them there. I got home and of course, put them all out and up on the walls and they look great….well I don’t have much on the walls yet, just set out where I might put them. Saturday night Kara and Tim came over for dinner and we played some games while the “children” AKA presley and their puppy Izzy played around the house. Then Sunday we went to church and went to Olive Garden for my brother, Brian’s, birthday and then went back to my parents house for brownies and ice cream. Last night I made some cookies so Jonathan could take them to Entry which was at James and Mary’s house–Entry is a get together where new people at our church can come and learn about Encounter–the history, the beliefs and so forth. While he was there I was getting things done that needed to be done–laundry, cleaning, and then started on a side table for the living room I’m painting. Overall, a great weekend.

Dog for sale!!!

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If you know anyone that wants a sweet Basenji, they can have her! Presley has been driving us crazy the last few days. All she wants is to go in the backyard and run around but it’s all muddy so she can’t. She keeps jumping on the doors to let her out and I know the first time we don’t, she’ll go to the bathroom on the carpet. So we put her leash on and take her out. This morning I took her out and she did her buisness like usual and then 5 minutes later she wanted to go back out so I took her out again and she just ate grass. I am soo ready for the sod in the backyard to be done so she can go out there! And, no she’s not for sale, I’m not giving her away, she’s mine to keep!

Houdini

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Presley the Houdini finally escaped the backyard! It only took 2 hours and there she went. For those who don’t know our fence is new and about 8 inches off the ground because we don’t have any grass in the backyard yet, so Presley the houdini dog could slip out at any time she wanted. We were in the middle of putting sod out around the perimiter of the yard so we could keep miss houdini in and Jonathan went inside for a second. I thought Presley went inside with Jonathan but little did I know, she had slipped through a hole in the front of the yard. We went to the front and started calling her name and clapping and all of a sudden here comes Presley from about 2 houses down, flying through the air like wonder dog. I think she was scared because she came straight to me….normally when she gets out and I call her name she goes the opposite direction. Luckily, we got her back and the next sod we put down went directly to that area and now she can’t get out–well, we think!

the joys of owning a home

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Last night I walked out to our backyard filled with dirt and a few sprouts of grass and looked around. There are a few spots along the house where grass has come up but the majority of the yard just had the seed laying ontop of the dirt. I thought to myself–this isnt going to grow grass just sitting here. So I went into the garage and got the backhoe (sp?) that my dad let me borrow and “tilled” the entire backyard to mix the seed in real good. With Jonathan’s help of course–he came out about 1/2 way through and finished it up for me. Once the dirt was all mixed up and evened out we ran up to Lowes and got some more seed and a fertilizer spreader to spread it out evenly. We put the seed out and then watered it real good. Hopefully in a few short months we’ll have somewhat of a grassy backyard! Now we just have to pay for the ginormous water bill we are about to have….Can I steal the water from the neighbor again??? No one lives there, so it’s not like I’m really stealing water, is it? Haha Now I have a blister on my thumb from last night, but it will be all worth it when my dog can go run outside and tear up the grass we so carefully planted and grew! now we just have to put fill dirt to raise the level of the ground up to the fence and put a board along the bottom of the fence and we’re good to go…I have to make sure my doggy can’t escape from the yard. She is a houdini! More to come later from the adventures of owning a home with Jonathan and Laurie.

Good News

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One of our very close family friends, Bob, who is like a second dad to me had surgery yesterday for a tumor they found near his pancreas. He had what is called a whipple procedure and it lasted about 7 or 8 hours. He did great and everything went well except they ended up taking more of the pancreas out than they had thought. We got to see him and talk with him a little bit after the surgery and he was in good spirits….although he probably will not remember seeing or talking to any of us, he was still doped up on pain meds and anesthesia. He stayed in ICU last night and will hopefully go to a regular room on the floor sometime today. With this type of tumor the doctors say there is usually only about 2% of cases thatit is NOT cancer but they also said they think there is a possibility he is in that 2%. They will not know anything definite until the end of the week so keep praying he is in the 2%. He will stay in the hopsital for about 15 days and we will just have to wait and see what the doctors say about where to go from here. I just want to thank everyone who has prayed for Bob and the rest of the family and keep them in your prayers as he starts the healing process.

Yeah for Cingular!

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I’ve been known to drop things quite often–mainly cell phones. I’ve been through numerous cell phones in the last year! I had a beloved Palm Treo that I was kind of rough on and eventually the keypad just stopped working. It’s been out of service for a while now and about a month ago I got a motorola Razr. Don’t EVER get a motorola Razr–this phone has been nothing but trouble since I got it. It locks up, turns off and won’t receive or send text messages half of the time. So I call Motorola and tell them about it so they said that my phone was shipped from over seas in Singapore, as are most other cell phones. This is the best part, the lady told me “Well since it was shipped overseas, you’re going to HAVE TO GO TO THE COUNTRY IT WAS SHIPPED FROM”. I just laughed and said “just to make sure I heard you right, you said I have to get on a plane and fly to Singapore to get a new $140 phone?” Motorola obviously doesn’t stand behind their products. So I have a nice new Razr that is broken and kind of useless…oh ya, it always has static when I’m on the phone too. Well, I was thinking last night and instead of getting yet another phone, why dont’ I just see how much it would be to fix my treo. So this morning I called Cingular–AT&T now–and asked them if they could fix it. They walked me through steps to reboot it and see if they could fix it over the phone and nothing–still broken. So the nice cingular lady said “well since you’ve had this phone a little under a year it’s still covered under warranty and we’ll just send you a new one.” YIPPEE for Cingular–my faith is restored in them.