Blogs of Thanksgiving: Blog 15

As my last blog was on my grandparents on my mom's side; this one is on my grandparents on my dad's side. Once again,  I consider myself to be incredibly blessed to have two great examples of how to live in my grandparents. Both my Grandfather and Grandmother have been and continue to be wonderful examples of strong faith, dedication, and hospitality. They have shown me what it means to have faith by moving several times over the years to go wherever it is that God calls them. They have shown me what it means to be dedicated by remaining committed to the vocations that God called them to at various times in their lives. My Grandfather spent years in ministry and my Grandmother as a teacher. Both of them have "retired" more than once from their jobs. They not only remained dedicated year after year, but also passionate about those they ministered to and taught in their respective careers. They have shown what it means to be hospitable over the years by having an open door policy at their house. Not only have they always welcomed our family in their home, but over the years they have opened their home to numerous foreign exchanges students. Students have lived with them over summers and throughout the school year at various times for as long as I can remember. My grandparents open their homes to these students and they have become a part of our extended family over the years. I am so grateful to have such loving, respectful, caring, and hospitable friends in my life. Their example is one that I hope to model in my life. 

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Blog 14

Today, I am thankful for my grandparents; and as I did my dad first when blogging about my parents; its only fair I do my Mom's parents first. My grandpa died when I was 8 years old, but regardless I am very grateful for the legacy he left behind. He was a strong man, who believed in protecting those he loved. He was caring, loving and respectful. He had a sense of duty, and he lived by it. I am very grateful for the example he set for our family and all those he knew. And while I wish I could have known him better, and that he was still around today, I am very grateful for the memories I have for him and the legacy he left behind.

I am also grateful for my grandma. She carries a quiet dignity that I have always respected about her. She has a big heart and has always wanted the best for me. I enjoy every minute I get to spend with her, even though I don't get over to her house I much I wish I did. She has this way of putting everyone else's needs above her own to the point that we sometimes have to remind her to take care of herself.  I am very grateful for everything she has done for me and for the awesome example she has set for me. And on a side note, she is an incredible cook, so I am also grateful for all the home-cooked meals she has provided me over the years :). Anyway, I consider myself to be very blessed to have such an amazing grandmother and example in my life.

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Blog 13

Okay, I'm officially off by two days now. I just didn't have the energy to blog last night; however the lack of energy to write does not equate to a lack of gratitude. Last night, I had dinner and saw a movie with two dear friends; and it was a nice reminder of how grateful I am for friendships. As I have written in some of my previous blogs, I have been blessed with an incredible family; but I am doubly blessed with friends that I consider to be like family. Over the years, I have had many incredible friends, but for this blog, I want to highlight two that have been there for me a lot over the past three years. Kim and Kevin have not only welcomed me into their homes but into their lives. I can not only depend them for good night eating food and watching movies, but I can also depend on them to be there for me in times of crisis. For example, two months ago, I had a bad fall in my apartment. I called them at like 11pm and they rushed over to take me to the hospital. They stayed with in the ER until 3am and then let me stay the night at their house to make sure I was okay. I am so grateful to have these two incredible friends in my life not only because of the trip to the ER but because they have always been there to support me through all the craziness  of the last three years. I am so grateful to have such supportive friends. And, besides, its nice to have friends who will go with to the movies one day and to the ER the next, but hopefully in the future we can go to far more movies, and far fewer trips to the ER.

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Day 12

Having expressed my gratitude for my sister yesterday, it is only fitting I show my gratitude for her husband, my brother-in-law, Nick. Over the past 7 plus years, Nick truly has proven to be the "perfect match" for my sister. When he first started dating Jennifer, I was amused because Nick always seemed to be rather quiet and reserved, and so I was curious to see how things would play out, no offense intended to either one of them, lol. However, it didn't take long for me to see that Jennifer had found "a keeper" in Nick. He truly respects, loves and supports my sister in every way possible and he has been an awesome addition to our family. I still remember the first Thanksgiving he spent with my family, and I jokingly told Jennifer that if he didn't go running for the hills after spending a holiday with us, she should make sure didn't let him get away. And that's something that holds true today. I still remember what it was about Nick that made me think he was a good match for Jennifer, and there was nothing special that he did, but just a "feeling" I got.  Now sister wasn't in the habit of dating tons of guys, nor did she ever date any "jerks," but whenever I was around her and her former boyfriends, while they never treated me mean or anything, I always felt like and outsider, a "third wheel" if you will, but I never felt that way when spending time with Jennifer and Nick. I felt accepted, and there is just something about being with them and not feeling like an outsider rather like family, that convinced me that they were a good match for each other, and that Nick would be an excellent addition to our family, and the past seven years have done nothing but convinced me of that. And not only am I sure that Nick is and will continue to be an incredible husband to my sister, but I am sure that he will be an incredible dad to my nephew. I am so very grateful for the blessing that Nick has been to our family and am glad to have him as a brother-in-law.

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Day 11

Today, I am reminded of how grateful to have an awesome sister,  who is not only the best sister I could ask for but also an amazing friend. There is a saying that friends are the family you choose, and while I do have some friends that I consider to be like family; in my sister, I have a family member who is also my best friend. I can't say that we have always been "the best of friends;" matter of fact, we didn't always get along when we were younger, but I am to blame for that. I was quite the brat at times, thankfully I grew out of it (at least I like to think I did). However, despite the fact that I wasn't always easy to get along with, my sister never stopped loving me and has stuck with me through thick and thin. I have many fond memories of my sister, from road trips, to shopping trips, to nights hanging out at home, no matter what we are doing, I know that time with my sister is time well spent. We are alike enough to enjoy doing many things together, but different enough to keep things interesting.  And it can even be argued that if it weren't for Jennifer, I wouldn't be here today, as she is credited with saving my life on multiple occasions.  But more than that, I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for her influence and love. She has seen me at my worse, and as been a voice of reason and encouragement multiple times, something for which I am incredibly grateful. Jennifer is not only an incredible sister and friend, but I know that in a few short weeks she will also be an incredible mom, something I look forward to seeing as she enters this new exciting chapter of her life. I am so grateful that I am blessed with such a positive influence and example in my life and one that I never take for granted and someone I would do absolutely anything for.

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Day 10

Given the fact that today is Veteran's Day, I am reminded of how grateful of I am for our country's veterans. Veteran's Day began as Armistice Day in 1919 when Woodrow Wilson declared, "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations." The freedoms we enjoy this country are possible thanks to the sacrifices of our veterans. Many have paid the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that we can live in a land that is free. Not only am I grateful to the men and women who have gone before; but also I express gratitude to those who continue to serve our nation today. These heroes deserve our gratitude not just one day a year, but every day because we wouldn't be who we are today without them. So, to all our veterans, today and I every day, I say "Thank you."

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Day 9 (I'm still a day off)

I was going to make up for my tardiness in writing my Thursday blog on Friday by writing two blogs yesterday; but alas, I only wrote, so I'm just going to be a day off. Anyway, today I am thankful for my job. Now those who know me well may be some what surprised to hear me say that; but the truth is, even though I don't exactly love my job, I am grateful to have one. I have worked at Best Buy nearly 3 1/2 years now. And while I have no intention of making a career of it; nor do I love my job, I am grateful that I have one. We have numerous people come in on a regular basis looking to see if we are hiring; and I am reminded that given these economic times; its a blessing to just have a job. And I am also grateful how flexible my job has been with my ever changing schedule. The great thing about working retail is that it has allowed me to set my availability in such a way that allows me to continue my studies. Another great benefit of my job is the employee discount. Its a pretty useful benefit at times, lol. Anyway, although I don't exactly enjoy my job every day, I am grateful to have it; and I am sure that the experience will come in handy in the future.

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Day 8..A Day Late

In my last blog, I mentioned how grateful I am to be blessed with such an amazing dad, well. today, I want to mention how grateful I am for my mom. Goodness knows my mom and I have had our fair share of disagreements (most of them taking place during my teenage years), but regardless I am so very grateful to have her in my life. No matter what I go through, I know my mom will be there to support me. She's got my back and will always wants best for me, and for that I am incredibly grateful. She will be there for me whenever I need her; whether that means screaming next to me on a log flume, cheering me up when I'm down or just simply spending time with me. I know she loves me, worries about me, and even though she can't always, I know she would protect me from anything bad ever happening. And, if you will indulge me  once again, I would like to take another trip down memory lane...and I promise I'm not always sick, but if you ask me, those who are there for you when you are at your worse, are worth keeping around.

While I could share numerous stories about my mom taking good care of me, I choose this one...During my junior year of college, I came down with an infection and had to go on antibiotics for a week. On Saturday, I was talking to my mom and she announces that she is coming down on Sunday to visit with me. She came down, we went to lunch, went shopping, she bought me some groceries, etc for my apartment.  We had a great time. And while I had the great time, I thought her visit was all kind of random,  however, before she left, I thought crossed my mind, my mom was coming down just to make sure I was okay. And while it may be in the nature of moms to worry, I am so grateful that my mom would take the time to come and check on me to make sure I was okay. She wasn't being nosy, but concerned. She came out to check on me because she wasn't able to be there for me while I was sick, but she wanted to still make sure I was okay. Its such a comfort to know that I have a supportive mom who not only wants the best for me, but will always check to make sure I am okay. She knows me inside and out and loves me in her own special way, and for that, I am truly grateful.

Blog of Thanksgiving: Day 7

So, just like many others, my facebook page was overrun this morning with people's reactions to the election yesterday. And in the midst of the raging political storm that has been raging throughout this campaign season, I was reminded of grateful I am for my dad (don't worry, Mom, you'll get a blog post too). I know that it may seem strange to say that a political storm reminds me of my dad, but if you will bear with me, I will explain my thought process. This past Father's Day I posted a picture of our family riding the log flume at Disney World on my facebook page, and in the picture, my mom and sister are screaming, my aunts are bowing their heads, perhaps in prayer that God will deliver them from their current horror, my uncle is smiling/laughing, I look at absolutely terrified, and my dad is sitting there calm, like nothing is really going on. I chose to caption the  photo by thanking my dad for remaining calm trough all life's storms. And that is one thing that makes me feel incredibly blessed to have such an awesome dad in my life.  I know that no matter what crisis I face, I can count on my dad to see me through and to always be the voice of reason when everyone else has lost theirs. He truly is the calm in the midst of life's storms. There have been countless times where I have found myself in a bind and he has been there, whether its to take care of me when I am ill, to fix my car when its broken down or just to offer advice when I'm not sure what to do; no matter the situation, I know I can count on him to see me through. And if you will indulge me a trip down memory lane, I want to take the time to share a memory that I have that reminds me of how incredibly blessed I am...

I apologize in advance for the "content" of this story, but I will try and keep the graphic nature to a minimum....As a child, I was active in the children's choir at our church, and one year we had a part in the Christmas cantata in which we were to sing a song and we were all to be wearing white robes (I think we were to give off the image that we were angels). Anyway, I hadn't been feeling well that night, but when on to sing anyway. Thankfully, despite not feeling well, I made it through the song okay, and safely off the stage. However, not so thankfully, I didn't quite make it to the bathroom, nor did I make it out of the sanctuary before vomiting, not only all over my once white robe, but also all over the floor of the sanctuary wing aisle.  Obviously, I had made a rather quick progression from not feeling well, to being full on sick. But to my amazement, there to greet me at the door heading out of the sanctuary was my dad. He lovingly escorted me down the stairs and to the couch in his office and left me there briefly while he went upstairs to clean up my mess. After that, he took me home and "took care of me." I choose to share this story not only because my dad took care of me when I was sick, (I could share numerous stories just like that), but I share this story because of something I realized later on, and something that has stuck with me since then. There is a small detail of this story that sticks out to me to this very day, years later, and its not just that my dad took care of me while I was sick or that he cleaned up my mess in the sanctuary, but that he was there to meet me  at the door when I sick. You see, after being home for awhile and having had a little bit of a chance to recover from the ordeal, I asked my dad something I just couldn't figure out, I asked him how he it is he knew what in the world was going on, how did he know to be at the door of the sanctuary wing to meet me. You see, two things made his appearance at the door remarkable to me. The first being that he knew I had thrown up. I didn't understand how he could have known since he had been sitting in the balcony and thus unable to see me.  The second being that he was there within in seconds of it happening, so even if he had somehow gotten a glimpse of it happening, how in the world did he get to the sanctuary wing so fast? His answer? "While you were still singing, I saw all of the color leave your face, and knew you were getting ready to be sick, so I rushed over to the wing." He just knew. I often joke that my dad knows everything, matter of fact, I have always thought he would be a good candidate for Jeopardy. But the thing I take from this story, and the point I am trying to illustrate, is that my dad knows me, and that means the world to me. He knew I was going to be sick, and he made sure he was there to take care of me. He knows me better at times than I know myself, I certainly didn't have a clue that I was getting ready to puke all over the place, yet he did. He knows me inside and out and  he loves me just the same; he's kind of awesome like that.  I could go on about the many things my dad has done or the many attributes he has to make me grateful that he's my dad, but I think its enough that he loves me for who I am, and I couldn't ask for anything more than that.

Blog of Thanksgiving: Day 6

Today, I voted in my second presidential election, and while I am grateful that I live in a country that allows me the opportunity to voice my opinion in how the government is run, more than that I am grateful that no matter the results, I serve a God who is sovereign over all. No matter who wins this election, I will give him the respect the office of president deserves, knowing that my true fate rests in the hands of an almighty God who is bigger than election results. Now, while I certainly do hope and pray that the candidate I voted for win because I believe he will move this nation in the right direction, I know that God is ultimately in control, and I take comfort in the fact that while I did my civic duty today as a citizen of this nation, my ultimate citizenship is in heaven. Therefore, while I am grateful that I had the chance to vote today, I am much more grateful that Jesus has made it so that my future is secure in Him regardless of the results of this election. So, while I hope that everyone who was able did their civic duty and voted today, more than anything else, I hope that people will come to claim the citizenship they have in heaven so that there future can be secure in something other than election results.

O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead 

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Day 5

Today, I am thankful for the gift of music. On the way to work, I heard a song that reminded me of a friend of mine, and it put a smile on my face, thus sending me in to work with good spirits. I love the way that music can take you down memory lane, change your mood and give you an excuse to dance (which I don't do often and am not very skilled at). I enjoy many types of music, the only exception being that I don't really get the "heavy metal screamer music," but to each his own. I am especially am grateful for the songs that remind me of certain people or certain times in my life. They give me the excuse to remember the good times and good people I have in my life. I also enjoy just cutting lose and singing with the music, this is not to say that I can sing well, but doesn't stop me from trying, lol. And I also love the way that music also gives us a way to praise our Father in Heaven. Songs of worship have always been an awesome way to draw us closer to God, something I am grateful for. So whether you're turning it up for a road trip or sing praises to God, let the music play and enjoy it.

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Day 4

Having gone to church this morning, I am reminded how blessed I am to live a country that has religious freedom. Today, I am grateful for our religious freedom and for those who worked hard and have sacrificed to uphold that freedom. I was able to go to church this morning with many others and worship freely without the fear of being arrested. tortured, or killed for doing so. Unfortunately, many countries do not have such freedoms. Many Christians in other countries are forced to meet in "underground churches" or some other fashion. Furthermore, we are free to discuss are religion in public. Now, some may be made fun of or ostracized for doing so, but this does not count as persecution as some would dub it. Especially in light of the real persecution that Christians face in other countries: arrest, torture and even death. Thankfully hear, we do not face such dangers. Sure, laws have been passed making it harder for us to be as open about our faith, but overall religious freedom still exists in our nation, a blessing for which I am truly grateful.

Blogs of Thanksgiving: Day 3

Today, on my way to and from work, my ipod played songs about grace, what an awesome reminder of how grateful I am for grace. Grace is defined as unmerited favor. Sometimes we confuse grace with the forgiveness of sins, but it goes much further than that. Grace not only means that our sins our forgiven, but to those that accept God's grace, they are adopted into his family. Not only are our sins forgiven, but he blesses us with His love. This does not mean that life will be peachy, nor does it mean that we won't ever fall under the temptation of sin again, but it does mean that win we do, we are covered. I know that I need grace each new day, because let's face it, I'm far from perfect and I am so grateful that no matter how far I fall, God's grace is there to catch me. And not only am I grateful for the grace that God bestows on me, but I am also grateful for the grace those in my life give me too when I fall short of their expectations. From family to friends to professors, to co-workers, I have been blessed by people who are continually gracious with  me, something I unfortunately take for granted from time to time, but nevertheless, I am very grateful. May I never tire of showing my gratitude for the grace given to me freely.

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine

Blog of Thanksgiving: Day 2

Tonight, I got to hangout with two of my former BCM kids, and was reminded of how grateful I am for college ministry, both the one that ministered to me during my college years and the one that I had the privilege of working with for 3 years post graduating. During my sophomore through senior years at CNU, I was involved with the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship on campus. This ministry helped to challenge and grow me in ways that I am still discovering today. I am so incredibly grateful to the campus ministers who had an enormous impact on my my spiritual journey. I am also thankful for the friendships that were formed through this ministry as well as the community that supported me along my college years.

After graduating from CNU, I had the opportunity to work as the associate minister for Because Christ Matters campus ministry at CNU. As a part of that ministry, I worked with an incredible group of students who have a passion for Christ and a desire to strengthen their Christian walk, as well as a desire to help others. I led Bible studies, mission trips and discipleship groups, all of which were amazing experiences I won't soon forget. I am very grateful for not only for the growing experience working with this ministry gave me, but also for the incredible relationships I formed as result. When I think about the incredible impact both of these ministries have had in my life, I am reminded of Philippians 1:3, "I thank my God every time I remember you." In this passage, Paul is referring to the support the Philippians had given for me and this is the way I feel about support and love I gained by being apart of these two ministries.

Blogs of Thanksgiving

I have decided to revive my blog during my month of November with "blogs of Thanksgiving." I know of several people that are using their facebook statuses to name something they are thankful for during the month of November. I have decided to attempt to do the same but with full blog posts of Thanksgiving. My ability to keep up with my blog is abysmal, so I thought this might be a fun and meaningful way to amend that. During this month, every day, I will take the time to post something I am thankful for. Some of them (like tonight's) will be random, some of them will be typical like friends, family, etc, but all of them will be sincere. So, here we go...

Day 1: Reliable Modes of Transportation

Every Thursday, I drive up to Arlington, Virginia for a night of classes. And while our roads may be far from perfect, I am grateful for the fact that our highway system allows for a relatively quick (traffic permitting) journey up for classes. I am also grateful for a reliable car with which to travel on the highway. A few summers go, my sister and I went on a driving tour of the Yorktown battlefields. While on the tour, we wondered what it would have been like to have traveled those roads during the days of the Revolutionary War.  I reflected back on this while I was driving today, and I realized of awesome it is to think of the evolution of travel.  A journey that once probably took a few days, only takes a few hours. Thanks to the invention of planes, a journey overseas can be done in a day rather than over a course of several months. Now, anyone who knows me well, knows that I'm not particularly like driving, but I am very grateful to have the ability and means to do so. Anyway, like I said, this first is kind of random, but its just one of the many things I'm grateful for, hope this blog gets you thinking abut the things your grateful for, both random and not so random. And, hopefully, once you start thinking of things, you'll find it hard to stop, I know I did.

The Key to Finding "Mr. Right"

Two blogs in two days after two years of silence?!?? Say what?!? Yes, its happening, but no, don't get used to it, I make no promises about the frequency of my blog posts. This one is happening simply because its been on my mind a lot lately and has consumed a lot of my brain power today.

This morning, kind of randomly, I decided to listen to the first of Andy Stanley's sermon series/podcast on the "New Rules for Love, Sex and Dating." You see, due to the luck of the draw, I have to give a presentation in my Christian Ethics class on Marriage and Sexuality. And, honestly, I can't think of a less qualified candidate because its something a topic that I just rather avoid all together. But, life can be funny that way.

Anyway, I listened to the podcast, partially with the hopes that it might be relevant to my presentation topic, but honestly, I think I just came to it mostly out of curiosity. I have roughly 400 something podcasts in my itunes folder that have gone unheard, and Andy Stanley's is among those. However, motivation aside, I'm glad I came across it, because he offered some interesting insights that have given me a lot to think about, and I share them with you now.

However, before I go into these insights let me take a minute to discuss my position on being single, which is my current status in life, and I mainly take a moment here to discuss it both because of the topic of this but also as a part of "my journey of self-discovery" (see previous post). I'm single and I'm okay with that. Nope, let me rephrase that, on a good day, I'm okay, with that, on a not so good day, it depresses me, but I'm working on that. However: here's why I'm okay with it (on a good day, that is): I find it beneficial in my current place in life to be single. What does this mean? It means that my status as a single person, makes me more available to do ministry related things, to spend more time with my students, etc. This is not to say that married people can't effectively do ministry and this is not to say that I don't want to get married or that once I am, I will quit doing ministry. I don't mean that at all, I just simply mean that not being married allows me the freedom and time to be more present for my students. However, if I were to be completely honest, my current status as a single adult is probably a better thing for me and my current state of life than it is for my ministry. In other words, I'm not ready to be married. And, I have started to come to terms with that. One day, yes, I would like to be, but I'm simply not there yet. Now, enough about me, and back to the podcast...

 In the first podcast/sermon on his "New Rules for Love, Sex, and Dating," Andy Stanley tackles the myth of finding "Mr. Right." To sum up his message: He basically says that many women go about there life convinced that most of their problems will be solved by finding "Mr. Right." And therefore, they put together their ideal list of what this "Mr. Right" looks like, and go on a manhunt for him. However, the problem is, twofold, one, not all your problems will be fixed by finding this mysterious Mr. Right, and two (and this one's the real kicker), while you have been busy looking for Mr. Right, you have not been working on being "Ms. Right." As Andy puts it, the so called, "Mr. Right" that you are looking for won't be interested in the woman you are. How's that for a smack in the face? You see, the focus for us as single women, should not be in finding Mr. Right, but in developing ourselves into "Ms. Right." Cause let's face it, don't you think that if we really want all the things we say we want in "Mr. Right," we need to be the "Ms. Right" he's looking for? 

Please, don't misunderstand me, I am by no means implying that woman need to change themselves in order to fit some mode of "the perfect woman." What I'm saying is that, we need to work on being the kind of women that our ideal "Mr. Right" is looking for.  Let me give an example, one of the things that is on my list of qualities that I am looking for in Mr. Right, is that he be a strong Christian leader, especially in the Church. Now, It would make sense that a guy who is a strong Christian leader would want a strong Christian woman who is a leader in the Church as well, correct? Seems logical to me. So, therefore, I need to work on being the strong  Christian woman leader that will attract a Mr. Right.

Now, a word of caution. Check your motivation. If you go out and take on leadership roles in a church for the sole purpose of finding a mate, you've gone wrong. That is not at all what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that we, as single women, need to be working on developing the type of character that will attract the right kind of Mr. Right.

Therefore, instead of hunting down Mr. Right, let us, as single women, work on being "Ms. Right." And, guys, take everything I just said and reverse it for yourself, you need to work on being "Mr. Right" in order to find "Ms. Right."

Anyway, just some interesting thoughts on the search for Mr. Right, if you would like to hear Andy Stanley's sermon, which I recommend, go to this link: http://www.northpoint.org/messages/the-new-rules-for-love-sex-and-dating

Showers and Car Rides: Why I Like Them, Why I Don't

Obviously, I fail at this whole blogging thing...It's been two years since my last post, and I thought about just starting a new blog, but decided to breathe some new life into this old one instead, so, here it goes...

A few months ago, I was challenged to go on a "journey of self-discovery," as I call it. Basically, I was told to "find myself." I recently came to the conclusion that I often define myself based on others' definitions of me, rather than my own. And, not really sure where to start, I decided that I would try and discover my favorites. You see, in general, I hate those icebreaker questions that ask your favorite this and your favorite that, because I never know how to answer them. My favorite color is blue, and beyond that, just don't ask. So, I decided to go on a journey to find my favorite movie, and well, I got really far on that journey, before abandoning it. And by really far, I mean, I watched two movies and then stopped. Oops...eh, maybe I will pick it back up someday. However, while knowing your favorites is important, I think knowing yourself goes much deeper than that, and so I'm intentionally picking back up this journey of self-discovery, hopefully with some depth this time, and if I discover my favorite movie along the way, great, if not, who cares?

Let the Journey Begin...With a Shower and a Car Ride...

"Why the title?" You ask. Let me explain...

A few days ago, my roommate made a very profound comment, she declared, "Showers are my enemy." Such brilliance, such insight, such genius in that one simple statement, that is spawned this blog. Now, some of you may be wondering, why are showers your roommate's enemy? Is she anti-hygiene? Is she uber-concerned about water waste? No and, no. She declared showers to be the enemy because they give you too much time to think with nothing to distract you. And I agree, while she saw only the negative, I see the positive. You see, while showers can be dangerous for that very reason, I also think they can be positive. With no distractions in the shower, I have gotten over writer's block, have planned out whole papers, speeches and conversations. Let's be honest, I have gotten some of my best thinking done in showers. So, I see them as a good thing, and that's why I like them. Why I don't like them, you got to be naked to take them, only once have I ever gotten in the shower fully clothed, but that was an unusual circumstance, for the most part I'm naked when I shower, which isn't may favorite thing to be.

Now, to the car rides portion of the title..

One thing, I can say with certainty about myself: I don't like driving. I don't hate it, but honestly, if we're going somewhere, and someone else wants to drive, I let them. However, as much as I dislike driving, I do find some good in it. Long car rides by myself, much, like showers, give me time to think and clear my head. Sometimes, these are productive, sometimes these are not, just depends on the mood. On the other hand, I'm not always alone when I'm driving, sometimes, I'm driving people somewhere. And, while that often stresses me out, and I will explain why later, I find taking a long trip with someone can be a good way to get to know them. Most recently, I drove some of my students to Fall Conference. And on the way home, the student who had the very important job of keeping me awake and I had some really awesome conversations, and it was truly one of those rare times that I didn't mind driving. We talked about everything, and I learned a lot, and honestly, wouldn't have traded it for anything. Now, why does giving others a ride stress me out? Simple, I have this irrational fear that my passengers are always criticizing my driving. And since I also have no sense of direction, I am likely to get lost, which only makes my fear of judgement worse. So, don't judge me, and give me some directions.

Anyway, these are some of my most recent insights and first pit stops on the journey of self-discovery. Oh, wait, one more thought on driving, I despise the middle lane, it stresses me out to have cars on both sides of me. And with That, I conclude my pit stop on the journey of self discovery...join me, if you dare.

What Ever Happened to Thanksgiving?

The other day I was flipping through the channels and I came across ABC family and stopped for a moment and in that brief moment I saw that they were advertising the "Countdown to the Countdown to Christmas." And I shook my head. Every year it seems Christmas decorations go up earlier, Christmas music starts playing sooner and everyone starts looking forward to Holiday sales. Now, do not get me wrong, I love Christmas and it truly is one of my favorite times of the year, but what frustrates me is that the more we get all pumped up for Christmas and the sooner we start to do so, the more we push aside and ignore Thanksgiving. I believe that Thanksgiving has truly become the holiday that we just try to get through so that it can be more "appropriate" for us to play Christmas music only. For us to get our Christmas shopping done and for us to get into the "holiday mood." However that is not what Thanksgiving is about. This holiday shouldn't be brushed aside and passed over just because we are excited about Christmas. Instead, it should be a time that we gather around with those we love, sit around a table for once to share a meal and simply pause and give thanks. I mean, is it really too much to ask that we pause and give thanks for just one day out of the year? Is it really too much to ask that you pause and slow down for one day and put your Christmas shopping to do list on hold just long enough to give thanks to the One who gave you everything you have to begin with? And on a personal note, Thanksgiving for many of us is one of the few times during the year that we see some of our family, so maybe we should just pause and enjoy that time especially since we are not guaranteed another Thanksgiving with them. That is something that has really been on my heart as this Thanksgiving approaches. Because just tonight as I thought about Thanksgiving pasts and remembered the fond times I had as a child going out playing football with my family, I was hit suddenly by fact that my uncle Mark, who used to be an important part of this tradition sadly won't be with us this Thanksgiving and I am reminded that what is important this Thanksgiving, is that I truly do pause and spend time with the my family and stop and give thanks for the thousands of blessings I have because I'm not guaranteed the next one. So, let us all pause and give Thanks this year and let us not rush past Thanksgiving in order to get to Christmas.

"Check Engine:" Pay Attention to the Small Problem Before It Becomes a Big One

It has been WAY too long since my last blog, I have done a worse job at keeping up with this than I thought I would, which is saying much because my expectations weren't that high...And I have some earlier blogs that I started a while back that I would love to go back and finish one of these days, but for right now, I would like to share some reflections on recent events, so here it goes...
Tonight, in my Spiritual Formations class, we watched this video on attention, and as I was watching this, I began to truly ponder the concept of paying attention and along with that, I pondered all the things that we miss by not paying attention. In this video, they mentioned a quote that I believe was from Ghandi that says that God is always speaking, we just don't know how to listen and as I pondered this in conjunction with recent events, I realized that our lack of attention causes us to miss out on a lot and can cause a small problem to become a bigger one...
For example, for months, the "Check Engine" light on my car had been randomly been popping on and off, and since there really didn't seem to be anything wrong with my car and the appearance of the light seemed to be completely random, I chose to temporarily ignore the problem and tuck it away in my mind as something to have checked out later. As the light continued to come on and off with no real consistency, it was decided that some random sensor might be off on my car and I should get it looked at, but that there was no immediate concern, and so I went on, not paying much attention to this check engine light, then this past Thursday happened...
I was driving to work and I stopped at an intersection and when the light turned green, I hit the gas, expecting my car to move forward, and well, it didn't.... I turned it off and restarted the engine, and still nothing. In complete panic about the fact that my car had chosen not to move, and I was smack dab in the middle of an intersection, I did what any Daddy's girl would do, I called my Dad, who wisely told me to call the police. After getting on the phone with the 911 operator and continual efforts to get my car running (and after a few honks and several angry looks from other drivers) I was able to get my car running enough for me to get it pulled into an shopping center.
To make an incredibly long story short, what ended up being wrong with my car? Well, the crank sensor had gone bad. So, my initial assumption that a sensor was off in my engine was correct, but my decision to ignore or not pay attention to the "check engine" light caused the unneeded stress of having my car die on me in the middle of an intersection, followed by the stress of finding a ride to work and what not and the overall inconvenience of being without a car for a short period of time. Now, God in his infinite grace, did provide for me throughout this situation: first, in the help of friends who came to lend me a car, next in the form of my Dad coming to look at my car and then to get it to the car dealership to get it checked out, and lastly in the form of the car dealership that fit my car into their jammed schedule and got it back to me the next day. However, one important lesson I take from all of this, and one that I hope anyone reading this takes from it, is the importance of paying attention....Had I paid attention to the "check engine" light, I could have avoided this whole mess and stress... So. may I always give due attention to the small problems before they become big ones, but more importantly, may I live everyday paying careful attention to everything happening around me, for we never know when God will speak to us in his still, quiet voice, and if we do not listen and pay attention, he may just need to shout it out at us later....So, let us all take notice of the small, quiet voice of God speaking to us on a regular basis and hopefully avoid the stress of having him shout at us later...
Well, that's all for now, more later and hopefully there won't be as long as a gap between this one and my next one....

PDA...What's Acceptable? What's Not?

So my experiences over the past two nights have prompted me to write this blog about what I consider to be appropriate public displays of affection (PDA) and what crosses the line. Now, before you gather your pitchforks and attack me for being a single person who is just jealous of all those of you who are in relationships, please understand that this is not an attack on all forms of PDA, this is just a request that couples not cross the line of acceptable forms of PDA, so please put your pitchforks away and bare with me...
So two nights in a row, I have been walking across campus and have had my eyes scarred by couples who have gotten a little carried away, so here are my rules of what is acceptable and what is not:
Acceptable: Holding hands, placing your arm around your significant other and the like
NOT Acceptable: Placing your hands underneath your significant other's clothing...basic rule: if you're in public, the public should be able to see your hands
Acceptable: a kiss goodnight
NOT Acceptable: a make-out session...now, I know that when you are saying goodbye to your significant other, that you would like to kiss him or her goodnight or goodbye, whatever it be but unless your significant other is going off to war and you will not see him or her for an extended period of time then please just keep it at a nice tasteful kiss, and if you feel the need to make it last longer because you won't see each other for what seems like an enternity, then please go behind closed doors
Acceptable: sitting on the couch next to your significant other (and by couch, i mean any place for sitting in public)
NOT Acceptable: laying on top of your significant other on the couch...
Okay, this is really all I've got for now, I'm sure more will hit me later as I encounter them, but I'll just post these for now... Before you go on to say that my not acceptable behaviors are obvious and no one would do them in public, please know that I was prompted to write these b/c I have in fact witnessed these acts in public....so, it does indeed happen...I am by no means trying to accuse anyone, this has hopefully just been a friendly request from those of us who would like to be able to walk around without encountering these things, this is not an attack on all forms of affection, for I am a fan of affection, I just think there is a time and place for it and that time and place is not always in public. And for those of you who read this and say that it I and others like me should just look away and avoid watching these individuals, I say, believe me, I have tried, and unfortunately at times its just like a train wreck, you want to look away but can't. Also, let me relay to you what happened to me on Sunday night: I was walking back to my room and a affectionate couple was walking in front of me, so I changed my path so I wouldn't have to be subjected to it any longer and next thing I come across another affectionate couple...yeah...so, I do realize this is an extreme example, but hopefully illustrates my point: sometimes, try as we may, we can not just avoid the overly affectionate couples...One last thought in response to those who say I should just look away, well, anyone who knows me knows that this is dangerous, for instance, last night I decided to send a text message to avoid further subjection of my eyes to the affectionate couple, and well I almost plowed right into a tree because I wasn't watching where I was going....alright, I'm done for now :)