5 Things I Never Thought I’d Say: What My Cat Makes Me Do

1. I love you.

By nature I don’t generally express my “love” emotions.  Since Jinx has come along I have found myself hugging, not only him but other people as well.  It might be a coincidence that I decided to release my inner hugger when I got Jinx, but I think not.

I have also found myself using the phrase I love you.  This one is only with Jinx, but people might soon follow.  When I get home from work in the day, Jinx jumps down from the couch and runs over to me.  He rubs his little body against my legs and I pick him up and cuddle him in my arms, and I say it…I love you!

2. Get out of the Tree.

Those of you who own cats, kittens in particular will know this phrase as well.  I got Jinx in the middle of November and put up my Christmas tree a few weeks ago.  At first I thought that Jinx was the perfect cat because other than the odd sniff, he really did not pay much attention to the tree at all.

In the last couple weeks though, I am pretty sure I have worn my voice out on more than one occasion telling Jinx to get out of the tree.

3.  That’s a healthy poop.

Generally kittens tend to get worms when they are young.  They say that they get it from their mothers milk.  So if your kitten has worms it can make its bowel movements contain blood and/or mucus.  This can be quite concerning for a cat parent.  Even when you know what is wrong with the cat, you never want it to be uncomfortable.  So after I gave Jinx the deworm medication I observed that his bowel movements had returned to normal.  It is like I had a kid because I bent down and said, Jinxy that’s a healthy poop!

4.  Did you just bite my belly?

Jinx is quite a playful little boy and sometimes he can get carried away.  Need I say more?
 
 
 
Finally number 5.  That’s Mommy’s good boy!

SAY WHAT?! I’m not this cat’s mother.  It’s not normal for me to talk to him like he is an actual little boy.  He is pretty well-behaved considering he is only young, but again I am NOT his mommy.  Yet, I keep saying it.  I can’t seem to simply say come here, it’s come here mommy’s boy, or Mommy loves you, or be a good boy for mommy.  I guess I will find myself saying strange things from now on because I love my little tree jumping, good pooping, belly biting little boy!

It’s Here!!

My wreck this journal has arrived!!  I sit here and look at it with both excitement and anxiousness.  I’m excited because I get to wreck something on purpose, but that also causes in me great anxiety.  I am the type of person that does not like messy paper, if it is messy I throw it in a box and never look at it again.  I like pens and pencils to be in order, and I don’t like paper to be stained.

 

I don’t mind if books I own look read, I can handle a crack in the spine, or even a dog-eared page here and there (although we have bookmarks for a reason).  I can even cope with a page or two ripped out (but taped back in of course) of a well read book.  Wear comes with use.

 

But here I am faced with a book, that I am going to wreck on purpose, some of the pages will be ripped out and not taped back in.  Those pages will be lost forever.  Some of the pages will probably be sticky, and start to smell, one of the pages even designates SOMEONE ELSE to wreck it.  I wonder if I can rise to the challenge and wreck my journal, or if at the end of this I will have a very neat but disappointing book.

I say bring it on!

Project Discipline

I think it is safe for me to say I have, for quite some time, resented even the mention of practicing spiritual disciplines.  I’m not sure where the resentment stems from, there are many reasons I am sure.

taken from reverendfun.com

Perhaps it was because I it was the first time I was ever introduced to them was at Bible school.  There was an assignment where we had to practice a discipline and record our experience, and maybe whether rightly or wrongly, I thought to myself…who is this prof to grade me on my spirituality?

Another reason I resented them was because we had to do them in another class, and the instructor encouraged us to be open-minded as we would practice different ones.  He admitted that we might not “get anything” out of them all, but he had a feeling we would.  I resented that because what if I didn’t get anything out of it at all? (And again I was being graded on the experience)

Even if I did believe that I was being graded on my willingness to participate fully in the experience, and just my report on it, I thought it was stupid of them to ask me for a report in the first place.  If I was willing to participate the results should be between God and I.

Or maybe it was because the only people I had ever known who practiced the disciplines did so in a very showy way and they seemed to want to come across as holier than thou.

So needless to say I have been jaded on the whole discipline thing.  Until now.

Being a pastor can make it difficult to want to have personal time with God, and that is something you cannot be told, you have to experience it for yourself.  During the average week I prepare 2 sermons and a Bible study at the minimum.  I don’t say that to brag about how much I have to study for those, but just to show that when the studying is all done for those it can be difficult to want to carve out my personal time.

The trouble with not spending my own time with the Lord on a much more regular basis is that I am getting tired, and I am only 5 months in as a pastor.  I find myself tired and needing refreshing, and so I am going to have to be more disciplined and make sure that I carve out the time. (EDIT: I feel the need to say I love what I do, but this early in I recognize the need to get into a routine of spending more time with God, or I will wear myself out)

The other challenge that I meet is that my attention span is very short.  I tire of things quickly and so I cannot simply commit to just reading my Bible and praying everyday, although that is part of it.  I have pulled out my text books from Spiritual formation class, and plan on spending the next year (starting tomorrow because why wait until January 1st, or Monday, or whatever to start) practicing some spiritual disciplines.

The goal is to spend a month on each discipline I choose.   As each discipline is completed I will blog about the experience, what I found helpful and what I found hindering me.  Hopefully by sharing my experience it will help you in your walk, as maybe you consider the disciplines?  (And don’t worry, should you choose to practice them there will be no grade).

Keep tabs on the project discipline page…there will be links to my reflections there.

I’ve Decided To Wreck This Journal

Since I keep this blog as somewhat of a journal, mostly to keep my family entertained, I imagine the thousands of readers that stop by this blog just had their hearts leap into their throats (thanks for stopping by mum), thinking that I meant THIS journal.   Oh no, no, after where would the cyber world be without my creative genius?

No, I saw this Freshly Pressed post today by this girl who posted about one of her wreck this journal pages.  Doing some further exploration on the matter I discovered this (click on the word this to see what I mean).  As I read about the wreck this journal I got more excited.

I’m excited because I always aspire to do something as a sort of creative challenge for myself, but due to the fact that when it comes to taking on projects I am a pretty black and white; perfectionist type person, I tend to give up on these projects because they don’t go according to my plans.  So what am I left with?  About 10 started journals, a list of resolutions left undone the story continues.  Sometimes if I start a creative project, all I am left with is a mess.

That’s the good news, the whole point of the wreck this journal is that you are supposed to create a beautiful mess.  It doesn’t have to be done in any specific order, and each page is a different thing so it keeps it fresh.

I ordered my copy tonight and I cannot wait to start it.  Yes I did order a copy of a pretty blank book, when she gives all the ideas online, but I figured if she was good enough to share her idea with the world that I can afford the 10 bucks to help support her work.  If all goes well I might order Living out Loud (a book also designed to get you to DO something) by the same person!

I can’t wait until my journal gets here so I can start wrecking it!!

EDIT: if you got me one for Christmas #1 way to go for knowing me better than I know myself, and #2 don’t return it, I can do 2

The Cat-Nap

Jinx is very cute when he is sleeping.  He begins with a deep purr and some noises that sound similar to those pigeons make.  He snuggles in closely and lets me scratch behind his ears or he even stretches out and lets me rub his belly.

Sometimes he’ll even crawl up onto my lap or into my arms and hide his face in my elbow.

The trouble with the cat nap, is that it does not last very long.  When Jinx is awake he’s pretty much just psycho!

But mommy loves him regardless!

See isn’t he cute even when he is being crazy?

–==============PS Jinx says hi!