moving again... oops

http://tiapugh.wordpress.com/

new blog. moved again. think i'll stay here.

Moving time!

I've decided to move my blog over to a new address... googlepages have better options for me. So please check out my blog at this address:

http://tia.pugh.googlepages.com/home

I suck at posting.

I just haven't felt inspired to share my life lately. I haven't had any real revelations about anything going on... it's been very busy... but normal.

I would love to be one of those people that can write long, seemingly meaningful posts about a very regular, mundane events... I would love to reflect on the deeper meaning behind drinking lattes, working out, going to work, grocery shopping and all of my other daily interactions, but I just don't have the energy.

So this is what you get...

Things have been pretty normal around here. Work has been so busy feeling lately. Its not really that we have any major events going on, I just feel like I'm running around all the time. Andy and I joined Weight Watchers about 5 weeks ago and have both been very successful. It has actually been kind of fun. But we both have a long way to go. It is winter in Fairbanks and I am getting restless. At our preschool we are "Walking to Anchorage"-- counting our laps around the building... whoever gets to "Anchorage" (330 miles) as a class first wins. Cabin fever makes people do weird things. :) In other news, Andy and I have decided not to build our house until next summer (2008) so we can do some big traveling this year. We have already picked the house plan and are having fun thinking about the details. Youth ministry has been amazing. Three retreats in three weekends is getting to me, but I'm hanging in there. I am always surprised at how they encourage and affirm me on a weekly basis. We're having a college kid over for dinner tonight and I'm going to have the "have you ever considered being a pastor" talk with him. Pray for that.

Okay... my life... not so exciting... but I like it. :)

6 hours of Daylight!

Winter is still going strong around here. I'm starting to have a bit of cabin fever. It was broken-up a bit Sunday, we went snow tubing with youth. It was a BLAST! I am still a wee bit sore... I think just because of the impact. Lindsay and I were the speed-duo and we caught a lot of air. But now I'm back inside looking out my window that is 1/3 covered in snow. 6 hours of daylight (the first time in 2 months!) is back. The good news is that it's not super cold, so we can do more fun stuff outside (tubing, skiing, snowshoeing).

In other news, one of my youth, Sara, is going to job shadow me on Wednesday. How fun is that?! She wants to be a DCE and is doing a project for school. I need to make sure Wednesday isn't a totally insane day.

Stay warm out there.

"religion: For, I guess, but it's not for me."

This statement is an all-encompassing characteristic of our/the next generation. I took it from a friend's myspace... a survey. Are you for or against religion? "For, I guess, but it's not for me." I heard a great speaker say that most Americans believe in Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. This means they believe that there is a god and that he created them, but then he stepped back and let them live out their lives without intervening-- unless we need him to! This god only comes when we call on him. This god also wants us to be good-- and we can find out how to be good in the bible, or the Koran, or the book of Mormon, or reader's digest. This god lets everyone into heaven regardless of if they believe in him, or whatever. This god is THE god of benign whateverism.

Now... if that is your worldview... how do I share with you the truth? How do I introduce you to a God who is so much more, who desires to have all of us, and who can give us complete freedom by His grace? How do I introduce you to Jesus, who by the way will totally ruin your life? How can you see your Redeemer through this lens?

The Christmas that was

Christmas went so fast this year. Christmas eve was a whirlwind of church service--6 to be exact. Wow. We had a good time though, needless to say I was totally exhausted at the end of the day.

The services were great. I think over 1,000 people came to Church on the 24th. Amazing. Candles everywhere (and glow sticks for kids), Silent Night and the giant tree. A great way to celebrate.

Andy & I exchanged stockings on Christmas eve (he had never had a stocking before!!). It was cool. My stocking had a bottle of wine in it. :) Then I got to sleep late on Christmas and we opened gifts. It was a really nice first married Christmas. Then we went to our friends Jen & Ellen's house for Christmas fun. Loads of food, games, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Ahh yes. Good stuff.

Hope your Christmas was an awesome celebration of Jesus' birth!

In honor of my favorite Christmas movie

Don't Shoot Your Eye Out.