Saturday, March 6, 2010

NEW SITE - LIVINGWITHPOWER.ORG

This website has officially moved.

the new and improved site is now Living With Power!

livingwithpower.org

please visit my new site for blogs and updates on my life and thoughts.

thanks for stopping by.

Lina

Sunday, February 28, 2010

for my parents who don't have facebook!


guys just being cool














me and my sister in law patricia












waiting to see a great great shedd aquarium show called "Fantasea". it's 2 extra bucks and worth every cent of the admission price.











the penguins are behind us. they are my favorites.













stupid enough to wait in line for over an hour to get into the shedd on a cold chicago day. i didn't have socks on, my nephews didn't have gloves.

ya, i'm not used to grab and go with kids. didn't have a mom bag full of paraphenalia....

Saturday, February 27, 2010

the princess and the frog

i think this picture says it all.

and no, the frog doesn't actually change into a prince.

danger

a couple of months ago i went to the grocery store to buy some things for a recipe.

now, let me make a little disclaimer before i go on....if you know me or have ever met me, that right there is a pretty crazy statement. i included the word "I" and "grocery store" and "recipe" in one sentence, but yes, it's true, i did go to the grocery store to buy some things for a recipe.

it was around christmas time, and i had spent more money than i wanted to on gifts, and frankly, i was looking for a good deal.

the guy sitting at the table inside the entry to the grocery store did not strike me as someone to avoid. he even had his walker next to him. and he looked like he was giving away free cubs shirts and stuff. so when he talked to me, i stopped and listened.

turns out he was gonna sell me an 8 week subscription to a local chicago newspaper in exchange for one of 3 possible gift card choices: $5, $10, $25.

let's just say i was hooked. and the cubs hat wasn't even part of the deal...

i walked out with my $10 gift card.....i guess i'm lucky but not that lucky.....with a grin on my face.

little did i know that i'd been had.

the chicago sun times is the absolute worst newspaper i have ever been embarrassed enough to get to my house and if i don't discontinue it asap, i am worried it'll be held against me if i ever run for office which God willing, and my mind cooperating, i will never be stupid enough to do.

be careful what you read.
be careful what you let into your trust, and house, and mind.

not everything that looks good for you actually is.

in fact most trash out in our world is offered to us at what seems to be a very low price.

but it never is.

the cost is who you are and what you can become if you don't put an end to it!

just thought i'd share.

hope

my hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness
i dare not trust the sweet frame
but wholly lean on Jesus' name

i love these words to this old hymn. matt redman has a great newer remake of this song if you like him. i must have listened to it 100 times driving today and it still hasn't gotten old.

i think about all the things i do build my hope on. things like money, or a good retirement account, my house which was a good investment. sometimes i build my hope on people. i'm often guilty of that. i figure if that relationship would just work out, everything would fall into place. or i build my hope on the church and being involved in meaningful ministry. i even get in this rut of building my hope on my looks, or lack of them depending on the day! if my hair would just turn out right...other times i build my hope on the future, and my dreams. and when they don't actually become realized, my whole outlook is clouded and my vision is obscured.

my hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

not just words to a hymn, but my prayer for myself tonight.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

picture crazy


i've never taken a lot of pictures in my life - my family can attest to that - but i just bought a camera for my haiti trip - and now i'm unstoppable!











me and my dad. i feel like i look exactly like him in that picture....yikes....i used to think i looked like my mom...ha!









then again how can you resist this smile?
















i like that sunset.

visiting my folks


my parents have been married for 41 years.

i think my mom married my dad for his good looks.










here they are again. you can barely see the sunshine behind them because their smiles are so bright! ha...














me and my mom. she's the wisest woman i know.