Some new banners

A couple of weekends ago I was working on some new banners for the blog. Do you like either of these?

This one above is a variation of my current banner.

This one is an entirely new look.

I was trying to convey (with graphics) the elements of Word and Sacrament which are foundational to Lutheran theology. Does that come across?

Even if I don't end up using either of these, it's been fun to play around. I'm not a "crafty" kind of person (ie. making real crafts) but I like doing electronic stuff like desktop publishing, etc. Marilee has inspired me to try my hand at a new banner.

Visiting day

Today I am catching up on my blog commenting. When life gets busy and I find that I don't have as much time as I'd like to visit your blogs, I often just read your entries so I am still "in the loop" but don't I don't leave a comment. I think I've said this before, but when time is really tight, I prefer to spend the time (that I otherwise might have used leaving comments) to pray for you all instead. You understand, right?

That being said, I do view this blog as primarily a communication tool to keep in touch with the friends I've made in the blogosphere. When I started blogging, I didn't really have a purpose in mind other than to record some thoughts and possibly meet some new people. But this is not a "mommy blog" or a "theological blog" - there's really no one unifying theme to what I post here. Mostly I just blog about what I think might interest you; what's going on in my life and thoughts I have. Even though my blog is called "Ask A Lutheran", which may give the impression that it's a "Lutheran" blog, it really isn't. Yes, I do post about my church's traditions etc. from time to time, but it's not all I blog about. Anyways, there I go again, blah blah blah. What I am trying to say is that I blog, read blogs and comment on blogs with nurturing my friendships in mind. I am a firm believer in being intentional about nurturing relationships. Good relationships don't just happen. They require time and effort so that they may grow and flourish.

I feel bad that I haven't been terribly available lately to keep in touch with my friends. Please forgive me and know that even when I'm not around here as much, you are still on my heart and in my prayers. I love you all.

Going to make the rounds now!

Beth has a doppelganger; I have friends

I've always thought that Beth resembles somebody I know, but I couldn't quite put my finger on who. Yesterday as I was checking Beth's blog, Alli walked by and did a double-take.

"Whoa!" she said. "Does that every look like Kaitlin's mom." (Yes! That's who it is!)

"Is that one of your blog friends?" she wondered.

"Yes, this is Beth," I replied proudly.

"Is she the one who likes tea?"

Chuckles. "No, honey, that's Debbie."

"Teddybears?"

"Nope, that's Denise."

"Frogs?"

"That's Marilee..."

"Books then!"

"Yes. Beth is the one who likes books."

Do you think I talk much about you guys? *smile* Oh, maybe just a little...

My husband wants to go visit Debbie. He is planning our route to Florida so it takes us right past her and we can stop in to visit.

Brent remembers that Sara lives in NYC. He thinks this is so cool. Alli remembers that Sara recently had a baby. (This is the difference between girls and boys, folks.)

We were out window shopping recently, and Alli stopped to point out a kitchen timer topped with a frog. She thought maybe I would like to get it for my "blog friend who likes frogs" (Marilee).

Everybody thinks it's cool that Sharon lives in Florida and Lisa lives in L.A. It seems so glamourous to them.

Yeah, they've heard about Sharon's bat; Denise's eye surgery and her ongoing health challenges (Alli prays for her btw); Denise's new cow and the lawnmower that went MIA; that Erika lives in Japan; how Beth's sister wants to be buried at Wal-mart! They've seen pictures of your kids and hear about the funny things that you share. They think it's neat that we've talked about getting together. (FYI, they all think you should come HERE so they can meet you too, lol!)

I am so surprised how much they know and remember about you all. I'm probably just as surprised at how well I have gotten to know a group of people I've never met.

Have I ever told you how thankful I am for YOU?

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

I've been playing and tweaking with the template the last couple of days. Since I have no real design tools at my disposal I'm doing the best I can with what I have. I never thought I'd say this, but this is one time I wish I had a Mac.

Where did my flowers go???

Can you all see the flowers on my template? I can't see them anymore! They have been replaced with a button that says I've exceed the bandwidth (or something). I checked the template and the graphic is hosted on another site - there must be limitations to the amount of times you can access it or something. I don't really know how all that works.

I so loved those pretty flowers, but I guess I'm gonna have to find another template. I might try my hand at my own creation. We'll see. I'm not exactly an html whiz.

*BIG SIGH*

Commenting frustrations!

Is anybody else having trouble leaving comments lately? I've noticed that quite a number of the comments I've left over the last week or so aren't showing up. I don't think it's just blogger, I haven't had any luck commenting on Sara's or Holly's blog either and they're both on wordpress. If you're feeling snubbed 'cause I haven't come around lately, take heart, 'cause I'm not ignoring you, really!

Did I miss you?

I blew away all my links to your blogs when I changed my template. If you were previously in my blogroll and you don't see your blog in the list, please let me know so I can add you back. I was just going by memory, but I'm sure to have missed someone.

Summer Reading Contest: And the winner is...

Beth.

Because she bribed me.

KIDDING!!!

I chose Beth for a number of reasons:

• First, I was impressed by how much effort she put into her entry.
• Plus, I've noticed that she tirelessly enters every contest she comes across and sooner or later ya gotta win something, right?
• Plus, her Vikings are just so darned cute!

Hey, I told you my judging criteria would be totally subjective.

Actually, it was way harder than I thought to pick a winner. Everybody's entry, in one way or another, appealed to me.

Anyways, Congratulations Beth - I'll be emailing you your prize shortly. And thanks to everybody for some great summer reading suggestions!

They're so goofy, don't you think?

I found another contest! Actually, Beth found it, and I am copying her. Karen at Write From Karen is having a funny photo contest. Beth's picture of Pojke is SO FUNNY! I love it! Personally, I hope she wins. Anyways, about the contest...find a funny picture and post it to your blog, then go here and put the exact link into the mr. linky gadget. Check out the prize possibilities - any BusyBodies product ($20.00 max) OR a $20.00 gift certificate to Amazon.com. Good stuff!

Like Beth, I think my children are fodder for amusement. I don't know if other people will think they are funny or not, but they make me laugh. Here are the boys doing their best Pirates of the Carribean imitation at Disney World.

And, may I just take this opportunity to plug my own contest (shameless, I know) which is running until June 15th. Although, the prize now seems paltry against Karen's choices, but on the other hand I can probably be bribed. Just, you know, sayin'...

Summer Reading Contest!

Hey ho everybody, I'm having a contest! This is not a ploy to increase traffic to my blog, *wink*! It just so happens that I have an online gift certificate for Amazon.com that is only good for the U.S. site and since I can't use it on the Canadian site, I thought I would give it to one of my bloggin' buddies in the U.S. The problem is, how do I choose who to give it to?? To solve that condondrum I have decided to have a little contest to give away the gift certificate.

To enter, tell me what your favourite book of all time is, and why. Post it to your blog and link back to this blog entry. It doesn't have to be long - this is just a $10 certificate, folks! And please leave me a note in the comments here so I know that you have entered. I'll leave the contest open until say...June 15th, and then our panel of judges (me, myself and I) will pick our favourite entry based on specific (totally subjective) criteria. And I'm such a good sport that if the winning entry comes from somewhere outside the U.S., I'll find a suitable replacement prize for the winner (like a certificate that they can use) and award the U.S. gift certificate as a second place prize to another entry.

So get your entries in and don't forget to tell your friends to enter as well. Because this is so not about increasing traffic to my blog. Heh heh...

More commenting = Less posting

The last couple of days I have been neglecting my own blog and hanging out at some other's blogs.

There are some lively discussions going on right now at Holly's blog, one about bare bellies and pregnancy, the other about the conflict between obeying God's law versus the laws of the land.

Then, Sara has a conversation going on about what constitutes true forgiveness. It's a multi-part post, so be sure to keep scrolling up.

A new gadget

Check out the live chat gadget on the left! I saw one of these over at Brandy's and had a chance to try it out by chatting with her. It is very easy to use and very easy to embed into the blog. So when you stop in here, take a peek to see if I, or others, are signed in and we can chat! If you want one of your own, go to meebo and look for meebome under Products.

Double meme

Before I got sick, Lisa, Sharon and Debbie all tagged me to do an "8 random things" meme. (I had to actually give this some thought - it's not as easy as it looks!) Then I noticed today that KitKat has tagged me for this "Literary meme". So here they are:

That was random

~ I read, write and speak pretty decent French and German, and I know a little Spanish as well. Enough to get by if I went to Mexico for a week. ~

~ My husband thinks that this is a bit weird: Say we stop somewhere for a burger. My husband will simply unwrap his and begin eating it. I, however, must first open up the burger and inspect it to make sure that the condiments have been evenly distributed. If they're not, I'll move them around so that the burger is evenly covered. Then it's ok to begin eating. ~

~ When I was a kid, I took lessons in baton twirling, judo and synchronized swimming. I am only proficient in synchro. ~

~ I have this thing about public washrooms and will go to great lengths to avoid using them. Too much info? ~

~ I flew in an airplane for the first time in my life last year when I turned 40. ~

~ I am a history buff. I enjoy reading historical novels or non-fiction and watching the history channel. I have a particular fondness for the American Civil War period, the ancient Egyptian dynasties and the period in British history leading up to the Battle of Hastings. ~

~ I love riding roller coasters! It's one part terror, one part exhilaration. ~

~ When I fix myself a coffee, I always put the cream in the bottom of the cup first and then fill it up with coffee. I can tell the difference if it's been prepared the other way. Really! (Ok, maybe I have a few neuroses...) ~

A little light reading

Here's how the literary meme works:

1. Grab the book closest to you
2. Open it to page 161
3. Find the fifth full sentence
4. Post the text of the sentence to your blog
5. Don't search around for the coolest book you have, use the one that is really next to you.
6. Tag five people to do this meme.

Ok. The book that is actually closest to me is a book belonging to my daughter called The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes. Unfortunately this book only has 121 pages. The book that is next closest to me is The Book of Concord.

Page 161, 5th full sentence reads: "We are renewed, as Paul says (Col. 3:10, 2 Cor. 3:18) "in knowledge, " and "beholding the glory of the Lord, we are changed into his likeness"; that is, we acquire the true knowledge of God, enabling us truly to fear him and to trust that he cares for us and hears us."

Good quote, huh? Makes me look smart, doesn't it?

I am supposed to tag 5 more players, but I am curious to know what Shortybear Denise, Sharon and Sharon, Sara, Lisa, Denise H. and Debbie are reading these days. Beth, you are off the hook since you are travelling and on a break, *wink*.

Away for a while

Having some complications from my new meds and I am kind of in rough shape right now. Will post soon when I am in better shape.

Updates...

...soon, I promise!

So much good stuff going on right now and precious little time to share it with you. I hope to get a quick post in tonight. *wink*

Things that make me go hmmm

Just some things that I get to wondering about...

1. Debbie - do you have a southern accent? In my head you do not. And your writing is perfectly unaccented...
   


2. Lisa - have you ever bumped into a celebrity? Living in L.A. you must have seen somebody famous at some point. Come on now, dish!
   


3. Leeann - are you by any chance British? For some reason I think that you are. Perhaps it's because you have a friend who is a butler. That just seems so British to me.
   


4. Leigh Ann - When are you gonna give me the recipe for that cake????
   


5. Sara - How are you honey? I miss you so.
   


6. Eileen - WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU????
   


7. Shortybear Denise - Why teddybears? There's a cute story, right? I think they are just like you - cuddly and sweet!
   


8. Homeschoolin' Denise - If it's not too personal, I was wondering who is the picture on your blog of? Is it you? The reason I ask is because if it is, you don't look anything like I picture you in my head. Kind of like how the DJ on the radio never looks like you picture, I guess *grin*!
   


9. Sharon('s Roses) - Have you found the bat yet? *Sly wink*
   


10. Sharon a.k.a. Lady of Value - Can I come live with you?? Pleeeeaaaase? I am SO tired of The-Winter-That-Would-Not-End, and the Sunshine State looks so lovely. I promise I will behave.
    


11. Rusha - I was right, wasn't I? I knew it!!
    


12. Kari - What's your favourite cereal? Ok, that one I stole from a meme, but I already asked you your question a while back which was, "Do you know the Hillbilly Housewife personally?" You know, because you both live in Virginia and all.
    


13. Allison - This is kind of personal/serious...I always wonder how you and Brian are able to maintain your long-distance relationship? I admire that so!
    


14. Holly - Since I have taken the bold step from "lurker" to "commenter" at your blog, may move you up from "The Daily Rounds" to my "Friends" section? Just trying to be polite, *wink*, I'm going to do it anyways.
    


15. Beth - Did you take the picture that is in your banner? It is breathtaking!

Have a good weekend, y'all! I'm doing some more painting this weekend...pictures to follow, I promise!