Life Lately From my iPhone

Today marks one month until our wedding!  People in my office think it's so funny that I can rattle of excatly how many days until the wedding.  :-)  It's a combnation of sheer excitement, knowing what all needs to be finished between now an then, and then taking a vacation that has me counting down the days.

Friday I took  half day off so we could go to our last tasting for the reception food.  Then Adam and I went to get his wedding band.  We decided he looks quite grown up with a ring on his finger!

{Getting a caffeiene fix and showing off our latest purchase}

Next we looked at a tux to rent.  They want you to pick a vest color from a two-inch square of fabric.  Ha.  Thankfully they offered to order a few options for AMP to try on, which meant another trip to Al's on Tuesday.  We finally got it figured out, and he will look quite handsome on our wedding day!

We also looked at a rental house on Friday and spent less than five minutes in there.  Yikes.  We need to be moved in somewhere by November 1, so we're kind of in that time of 30 to 60 day notices being up.  It would make me feel a lot better if I was able to picture where we're going to be next, but that's just part of the process.  I know it will work out.  Patience just has never been my strongsuit in these types of situations!

{Bachelor Pad--before}

I am really glad to know that we will live in Adam's apartment for the month of October.  To make it more "ours," he's really working hard to clean stuff out and make room for me.  He's always had a clean place, which I appreciate, so it's nothing gross or anything.  We took down the framed posters that I helped him hang last August. 

We spent a good chunk of Friday night trying to find studs in the wall and hanging these shelves up.  I watched a lot and helped when needed.  :-)  I've had them since college, and they've lived under my bed for two years.  I was really excited to have a place to hang them again! 

{After}

Saturday we met the Wharton boys up at church to ask them to be in our wedding and practice walking down the aisle.  They will be so great on the wedding day in front of a big group of people, but they were just all over the place on Saturday!  It didn't bother me at all, because I know it won't be perfect, but that'll be what's so cute!

We had our Couple's Shower on Saturday night, which was loads of fun. Adam and I felt so honored and loved.  I'll have to do a separate post on that because it was just so fabulous!

Yesterday, I lost my wallet.  {Turns out it had fallen out at home.}

I wear my hair in a pony tail to work about half the time these days {A sign that I'm too tired to fix it}

My room looks like clothes exploded,

and until yesterday when Adam cleaned it out, my car looked similar.  {Thanks, AMP!}

Thankfully I have a lot of help with wedding planning and with life in general, becuase I need it!  :-)



Food for Thought

Desiring God's recent blog post about how to make God known at work really got me thinking. 

Graduating from a Christian high school and college, I'd been in a non-secular world for more than half my life.  One thing that was difficult for me to grasp as I decided on what kind of job I wanted was how to merge my personal faith with a mainstream job. 

This week we have several new faces around our office.  We don't know each other very well yet, but I'm hopeful we will soon enough.  I think these five things are a really good reminder of what I can strive for each day as I go into my office.

"I have in mind at least five things—five ways to make God known through your secular job and all of them are important. When one of them is missing, the witness to the truth of Christ suffers.

1. The excellence of the products or services you render in your job shows the excellence and greatness of God.

2. The standards of integrity you follow at your job show the integrity and holiness of God.

3. The love you show to people in your job shows the love of God.

4. The stewardship of the money you make from your job shows the value of God compared to other things.

5. The verbal testimony you give to the reality of Christ shows the doorway to all these things in your life and their possibility in the lives of others."

Excerpted from "Tentmakers" in Minneapolis. John Piper, 1988.

Adventures Make Great Friendships

Not many things can silence the combo of Claire and Shay, unless you're talking about severe weather. 

Typically we will talk about anything and everything from the moment we see each other until we go to bed.  We email during the day, even, and  when we're together, there's always a running commentary about life, usually with Gilmore Girls in the background.

I used to laugh at the tornado sirens going off around us.  But after the last few weeks of tornado weather hitting the U.S., that laughter came to a halt. 

After dinner at Uncle Julio's to catch up (we always have to plan a date!), we went back to our apartment and began watching Biggest Loser, only to be interrupted by countless weather reports.  I could hear the sirens going off at this point, too. 

I told Claire I thought we should go to our gym's bathrooms at the apartment complex, since we don't live on the first floor.  When the weather reports showed we should really take cover, I looked at Claire and said, "Grab anything you think is important to you,"  and we were out the door in three minutes flat. 

We each had a bag--Claire with her Bible and her school stuff, an umbrella and a snack. (Man, she was so prepared!)  Me with my Bible, computer, my wedding planning notebook and an Iowa sweatshirt I stole from Adam.  It was kind of freeing to know that we could leave most everything else and be just fine.  (And it also made me question the reason why I have so much stuff...but that's another thought all together. )

The sky wasn't too dark yet, and on our way walking to the gym, passing by our rather unfriendly/creepy neighbor, I asked Claire if she just wanted to go over to my parents' house.  We thought that might be a more cozy option than the bathroom floor of an apartment gym, and it looked as if we still had some time before the storm got really bad.

The five-minute drive was nearly silent, the sky turning greener by the second.  The rain wasn't too bad, but there was a sense of urgency.  It seemed like every car I passed was in my way.  The silence was accompanied by my own pounding heart, racing to get us to a safe place.

The only other time we've been that silent was when we drove out in the ice in February.  Now that I'm writing this, I'm sort of questioning my sanity, as I choose the oddest time to drive places. But those are what make them adventures, and it's going through instances like this that make you friends. 

The Power of Piles

Long ago in fourth grade, my cousin Anna introduced me to the Pile Method.  As a 10 year old, I didn't want to try on anything I saw in J.C. Penney's.  Anna, however, had just about everything possible in the girls' section INSIDE our one large dressing room.  I was dumbfounded.  Meanwhile, my Mom and Laura were pulling things for me to try on.  It's quite possible I already had the eye-roll down at this point.

When we got to the dressing room, I was overwhelmed.  Anna said, "It's easy, Shay!  You just make a Yes Pile, a No Pile and a Maybe Pile."  (You also have to imagine the lilt of her seven-year-old voice squeaking high on the first syllable of MAYbe.)

Let me tell you...that was the day it all changed in the dressing room.  (No pun intended.) 

Recently I ventured out of my usual Target shopping mode and went to the mall.  I was looking for some denim shorts that were much longer than the tiny 2-inch ones they feature in Tar-jay.  I needed a few more options.  When I got to the mall, I kept finding things I actually wanted to try on.  And of course, they brought me a few more shirts they "thought I might like."  Of course I did, thankyouverymuch. 

So here I am14 years later, still employing the yes-no-maybe pile system.  I'm telling you, it works like a charm.

This was my Maybe pile.

This was one part of my No pile.  All super-cute stuff that just didn't quite fit.

And this is my Yes pile.

Just kidding.

This is the rest of my No pile, after reevaluating my Maybes. :-)

And I did walk out of there with a pair of denim shorts. 

Imagine that.

So thanks, Anna, for teaching me to make piles and to take one thing at a time.  Who knew a seven-year-old could impart such wisdom??

This is the Day

While I love looking back at Baylor, I couldn't help but be reminded that I'm not there anymore.  I'm here.  And here is really great, too.  So this is what I'm doing right here, right now.  And I'm grateful.

This is my friend Taylor.  We get together every so often and chat about life.  She's an incredible dancer and is looking to go to college to do what she loves.  It's pretty awesome.  I saw her Sunday, when I got to go back to the church I grew up in and sing.  It's so nice to come back every once in a while and see people I've known forever.  And I always love singing.  Always.  

Apparently booties are in style this season!!

Sunday night, Adam and I carved a watermelon and a pumpkin, respectively.  Adam decided that a watermelon would be much better smelling.  I must agree, it wasn't nearly as goopy as my pumpkin!  I haven't carved a pumpkin in so long.  And I've certainly never carved a watermelon!  It was so fun.

And tonight I came in from a day-trip to San Antonio, and Claire was making dinner.  It was SO worth documenting!  She made stir fry, and it was really yummy.  What a treat to walk in the door to a fabulous dinner!  We ate in front of the TV and watched Gilmore Girls, and now we've switched to the Ranger game.  {Pretty awesome that we're in the playoffs!}  Life is good.

This is the day that the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Psalm 118:24

On Being a Duck

 

 source

Last week I booked a ticket to go visit Troy.  I'm really excited to go visit my brother in Boston next month.  I'm thrilled to see him...on his turf, with his friends, and in his own space.  It's been over a year since I've visited him, and two years since we got to hang out with our cousins there.

I've never actually seen these ducks in person, but apparently they live in Boston Common, and they're characters from a childrens' story book. I was researching things to do in Boston, and this image popped up on several sites.

So, they were on my mind yesterday when a dear friend reminded me to "be more like a duck." 

Huh?

You know the phrase, "Like water off a duck's back?"  I don't always let things slide right off.  I'll admit (and my family & roommates can attest), I can get rather "prickly" sometimes.  But thankfully, I think I'm getting better about it. 

I wish I could tell you that I'm a go-with-the-flow, laid-back person all the time.  That's one trait I wish I had more of in my life.  But I'm not, and I let certain things get under my skin that aren't that big of a deal in the long run.

So these days, I'm working on being a duck.  It's not always easy, but it's good.
 

Memories Made With Music

Do you have songs that bring back instant memories?  We'll be sitting at a restaurant and my Dad will stop and tell us exactly where he was when he heard a specific song from when he was growing up.  It's one of my favorite things that he does.  Music has long been a marker of time for our family, and today was no different.

I knew as I was driving to Arlington that Maroon 5's newest album would always remind me of the day my Dad and I traded in my Tahoe for a 4Runner.  It was my graduation present {yes, from when I graduated 17 months ago}.

This purchase has not been delayed on account of my Dad, that's for sure.  Bless his heart, he's tried to buy me a car since January of 2009.  But I wasn't ready yet.  I searched long and hard, and test drove many a car.  

This was my last hoorah, the "you're really off the payroll now, Shay!"  I wanted to make sure I could live with this decision for a good long while.  So I took my sweet time, and I couldn't be happier about it!

Today was really exciting, but also bittersweet.  I try not to get too attached to "stuff," but sometimes it's hard.  Mostly just because I have lots of great memories in my Tahoe--road trips to Austin, just for dinner during college, loading it up with fun friends, singing at the top of my lungs and not caring because no one else was in the car, and carting sweet little munchkins around in the summer, just to name a few.  

My truck had Tri Delta letters and a Baylor sticker on the back.  It was a big day this past May, when I finally scraped off the old BU sticker to put up a Baylor Alumni one.  It may sound silly that it took me a year, but it was monumental.  I was ready to move on with life--a year  later.  I cleaned out my car and scraped my stickers off {again} this afternoon.  It was, once again, a big moment for me.  

Dad came over to my place around 2, and we narrowed down and called various dealers about the available cars.  The one that met all my specifications was about an hour away.  {Between my wish list and my Dad's low-mileage specifications, there weren't too many to choose from.  I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Shay?  Picky?  Never..."}

Then we began our car ride over to the dealership, listening to Maroon 5 and Sara Bareillis' new songs.  And we talked.  And it was so fun.  We got to the dealership, and fortunately our car salesman was actually pretty pleasant and not too pushy.  I drove the 4Runner we'd come to look at and really liked it.  And then Dad negotiated.  I signed my life away on documents too numerous to count.

Here's how the conversation went in the office while taking this photo:

Dad:  Should we put the check in the picture?

Me: Um, sure, I guess

Dad:  It's kind of funny.  Can you put these on Facebook?

Me: Dad!  I can't put this on Facebook!  There's a dollar amount on that check!  

Dad:  Ok, I'll cover it up.  

So I made the check fuzzy and put it on my blog.  Go figure.  

And finally I handed over my Tahoe keys. 

We took a few pics with the new {to me} car, and were on the road again!  This time the first song was Troy's.  And I have an Auxiliary plug now to use an iPod.  I'm probably most excited about this feature!!

  

We made the trip back and met Mom for pizza, and then I headed over to babysit the cutest little boys.  We built a train track, and I put out lots of fires before brushing their teeth and tucking them in under their Star Wars covers.  Currently they are hopping in and out of bed, and it somewhat resembles the "Whack-A-Mole" game.  {I don't bop them on the head, mind you, but they just keep popping up!}

And now, as I sit in their living room writing this, everything is still and quiet.  The music of my day fills my mind and makes me smile.  It's been a great day with my Dad.  And I'm one happy girl.  And most of that has nothing to do with the fact that I'm driving a different car.  :-)

Where Were You On September 11th?

source

The first thing I heard about the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York was in my second period biology class.  I had just come from choir, and there were two guys in my class that typically said idiotic things.  So when I heard them say, "The World Trade Centers have been hit."  I thought they were being ridiculous.  And then I quickly realized that they were actually telling the truth.  And then my biology teacher confirmed it.

I remember after biology that we had chapel, which was one of my favorite parts of the day.  (Maybe because wasn't actually in class?!)  As I look back, I am more and more grateful to have been able to go to a Christian school where we were able to pray.  Right then.  

The rest of the day was a blur.  I just remember that our counselor and assistant principal pulled a TV out of their office and plugged it in under the stairwell in the main entryway.  There were students hovered around the TV the rest of the day.  Remember how they played the images over and over and over again?  I do.  

I remember coming home and finding my dad there in his study.  They'd evacuated all the buildings downtown, just in case.  And we sat in his office and continued to watch.  That night, I remember watching President Bush speak on our TV upstairs in the game room.

I remember feeling very American.  Very united.  Very prayerful.  And I remember hugging my family a little tighter that night.  

What do you remember?

Flying

I flew to San Antonio today for work on Southwest's airplane painted for the state of New Mexico. Quite colorful, that plane.

source

I was so excited to get to wear my new gray boots. It was border-line cool enough to wear them when I started out because of the rain we've been getting. But really, I just wanted to wear them. And I made an executive decision that even though it will end up in the 80s, it's after Labor Day. And sometimes you just have to bust out the boots, baby.  And let's talk about the rain. Oh, the rain. It's made it so much cooler here and has been great, except it makes me want to snuggle in bed all day.

So...I just had a few interesting experiences at the airport.

I was talking to a lady at the gate, admiring her cute new baby. He was really sweet and even had a fuzzy head of blond hair. Precious. I'm pretty sure she was just trying to make conversation, which was really sweet, but she asked if I had any kids.

Excuse me? Kids? Do I look old enough to have kids? Oh my.

Then, I was standing in line to board and noticed a man with a Baylor athletic shirt on and struck up a conversation. I don't know if people from other schools do that, but it's definitely one of my favorite things about being an Alumni. He graduated in 2004. When I told him I was an '09 graduate, he said, "Oh wow. So you JUST graduated." Yes...about a year and a half ago.

How is it that I can be so old and so young in the span of 10 minutes?  Someone please explain this phenomenon.

source

I interned for Southwest Airlines one summer in college, and so I am a huge fan of theirs. One thing I love most is their Fun-LUVing culture. Today was no exception.  The flight attendant today reminded me of Jack in Will & Grace. If you've ever seen the show, you know what I'm talking about. If not, just imagine a vey dramatic and flamboyant man. It'll make you laugh.

Today I was reminded of a few things about myself: one, I love wearing boots. Two, I enjoy traveling, especially on Southwest. And three, perhaps my favorite thing about traveling is the people I get up the nerve to talk to. It's always interesting. And always entertaining.

And another good thing about flying is that I have some good, uninterrupted time to read. Right now I'm reading The Hole in Our Gospel, by Richard Stearns. It is really opening my eyes to serving those in poverty. Hopefully I'll be able to write some of my thoughts on it soon. But for now, I'm going back to reading.

Happy Thursday, blog friends.

Today's Letters

In the style of Today's Letters...

Dear Tahoe, yesterday you hit 100,000 miles.  Thanks for toting me back and forth from Waco to home so many times during college, and now from work to home for almost a year.  Someday if I get a dog, I think I'll name it Tahoe.  Because I like you that much.  Dear day-off from work, I thoroughly enjoyed you.  Please come again soon.  Dear Papa, I'm glad I caught you between all your many travels.  Lunch with you was sweet, funny and entertaining, as usual.  Dear College Football, I'm so glad you're back.  You provide such a great soundtrack for fall weather, afternoon naps, and lots of school spirit.  Dear New Running Kicks, I'm really grateful for you, because now my little toes don't hurt when I run.  Dear Roomdog, glad we got to catch up last night, slumber-party-style.  I've missed you.  Dear AMP, spending yesterday with you was a great way to enjoy beautiful weather and running in the park.  Loved every minute.  

Happy Weekend!

A Tale of Two Tickets

I got a speeding ticket last month.  I was on my lunch break, going to switch cars with my dad for the weekend.  They were taking a bunch of kids from the youth group to the lake and needed a bigger car.  (I seem to always be on a "good mission" when I'm speeding.  Why is that?)  So there I was, on I-35, caught going 75 in a 60.

I'm used to the speed limits on the Toll roads being 70, so it didn't feel to fast at all.  But this officer caught me.  I'm pretty sure I had the music up loud, and I was singing along, not really paying attention to my speed.

I have today off from work, and besides sleeping late and cleaning the apartment, I decided to do other riveting things like go pay my ticket.  Prior to heading to the courthouse, I deposited my bonus check, knowing full-well that I would use at least some portion of it to pay my ticket.  Isn't being an adult fun?

I was the only one in line, and I must admit, this was a pretty nice place.  Not exactly what I expected.  I was given the option of paying $107 and agreeing to take defensive driving, or pay $297 and not have it on my record or take defensive driving and just be done with the whole blasted thing.

Honestly, it didn't take me two seconds to calculate the cost of defensive driving was less than the $190 difference, but I did think about it, if only for a millisecond, when I remembered how I really wanted to spend my bonus check (it does not include paying for a ticket, in case you're curious).

I debated dressing nicely for this occasion, wondering if they would treat me differently if I came in wearing a t-shirt.  But since it was my day off, I decided that I didn't really care, and the ticket was going to cost the same no matter what.  I ended up choosing one of my favorite Baylor shirts, and had the nicest conversation with the lady behind the glass about a time she met our mascot, only to later discover the other bear killed it.  Sad story.

But, I must say that paying this ticket and having a nice little conversation with Barbara was much more pleasant than the time I got caught going 62 in a 40 down Valley Mills road in Beverly Hills (a tiny town at the edge of Waco) on a cold Sunday afternoon, had to visit their old, dirty and dark courthouse twice, for reasons I've apparently blocked out of my mind.

Today was much more pleasant.  So, here's a valuable lesson: if you have to get a ticket, don't get one in Beverly Hills, Texas.  Or just don't get a ticket at all.

Kind words

Kind words go a long way with me.  Seriously, I could live on a compliment for a good week and a half.  Write me a note, and I treasure it.

{Case in point: I've saved almost every note my mom put in my lunch box since I was in first grade.}

I was recently stalking my brother on Facebook, just for kicks, and I read this status update from the previous week:

Things I am thankful for: Wade Bogdon, Hershey park, my beautiful sister, Skippy, my 2002 Yukon.

It caught me off guard that I made Troy's list.  I think I'm still living off of it a few days after the fact.  :-) It was so sweet and unexpected that I teared up when I read it out loud to Claire.

Our family is big on personality tests, spiritual gifts analysis, the Five Love Languages, etc., so I've filled out several little tests in my short life.  Of the five love languages, {Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service & Physical Touch}, mine are definitely Words and Time, and Troy just made my week with a few words!

If you want, you can take the five question test here to find out what yours are.  I always think it's interesting to find out what others' Love Languages are, so let me know if you take the quiz!

Less is More

I have a Baylor friend that just recently returned to Haiti with her husband after living in Dallas for the Summer.  They have taught at a Christian school in Haiti since January, arriving just days before the earthquake hit.  You can read about Ben and Katie here.

 

One thing that they have commented on over and over again is how fast-paced life is back here in the states.  Their tone was not condescending, as they spent the entire summer going and going and going, but just more of an observation.  Katie's most recent post linked to a New York Times article about people who are choosing to live more simply, even in the U.S.  Tammy Strobel and her husband decided to downsize to 100 things and a 400 square foot apartment.  Whoa.

 

After getting back in town from vacation, my Mom offered to come help me get my apartment organized, since Claire and I were having a bunch of people over Friday night.  It was quite a helpful treat!  Needless to say, Mom brought to my attention the large amount of clothes that I have in my closet.  (I think we all know that I have a slight obsession with Target.)  As I write this, I have a huge urge to go home and clean out anything and everything I don't need.  (And I honestly don't need a whole lot.)

 

The news article suggested that people are happier when they spend money on exprieces rather than actual stuff, because you're creating memories instead of hoarding more junk. And I see where theyr'e coming from.  Personally, I'm happiest when I'm hanging out with my friends and family and we get to sit around and talk, or go to a park or hang out at the lake--things that actually cost very little, if anything at all.  (See BSB Weekend, Spending time with friends in town, or a Saturday filled with a run and hanging out).  It really doesn't take much.

 

More importantly than any article, though, this is what Scripture says about stuff in Matthew 6:19-21:

 

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

 

That's really what gets me, when I think about it.  With cars that don't always work and ceilings that leak (both things have happened to me this week), I am reminded that things can and are destroyed in a blink of an eye.

 

I realize that I have quite a long way to go in the less-is-more scenario, but hopefully this is just the beginning of something new.  And don't think this is easy for me!  I must confess that I cringed when I read in the article that Tammy "owns four plates, three pairs of shoes and two pots."  I'm not sure I will ever get to that point (but I've learned to "never say never!").  At least a seed has been planted. 

 

And now I'm off to clean out my closet...

 

Sometimes...

I'd just love to be here...

Or here...

Wouldn't you?

Monday morning with C.S. Lewis

Why, hello there. 

I don't know if anyone likes these more serious, non-photo posts I've been doing lately, but I promise I'll put some pics up soon.  I just got back from a fun weekend in Nashville, and it was well-documented, but not with my camera. 

As much fun as it was to visit with great friends in Katie's awsome town of Nash, I also loved the feeling of coming home...to my apartment, to my city, in my world.  I hope that doesn't come across as self-centered or selfish, because that's not my intent.  I think what I'm trying to say is that I'm really content with where I am right now, which is a really fun place to be, and I am so grateful to be in this spot right now. 

This morning I ran across a C.S. Lewis quote that I thought was partiularly profound.  My cousin Anna loves quotes, so this is for you.  Maybe you'll read it when you come back from camp counsel-ing.

But the most obvious fact about praise-whether of God or any thing-strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor.

I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise unless (sometimes even if) shyness or the fear of boring others is deliberately brought in to check it.

The world rings with praise-lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game-praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars.

I had not noticed how the humblest, and at the same time most balanced and capacious, minds, praised most, while the cranks, misfits and malcontents praised least . . . I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise what ever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: "Isn't she lovely? Wasn't it glorious? Don't you think that magnificent?"

The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about. My whole, more general, difficulty about the praise of God depended on my absurdly denying to us, as regards the supremely Valuable, what we delight to do, what indeed we can't help doing, about everything else we value.

I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.

(C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms, [New York: Harcourt, Brace and World 1958], pp. 93-95.)

A Foul Mouth

The Roomdog (who has a new blog, by the way) and I were just talking about using "bad words" last night.  As a teacher, she expects her students to have a clean mouth in her classroom.  It seems to me that many of her fourth graders know more foul language than I know to this day.  In fact, I used a word this week that I thought meant something else entirely.  Turns out it's NOT what I thought!  Still a little naive, I suppose.  Thank goodness someone gently corrected me--won't make that mistake again!

As we continued our discussion about the "F-word" last night we remembered when we found out about it.  I recall pulling up to a parking spot at Tom Thumb (in our green Mercury Villager van) and asking my mom what the F-word actually was (not what it meant).  She paused and said, "I don't even want to say it.  It's such a bad word."  So she told me what it rhymed with.  Looking back, that was pretty smart!  To this day, anytime I hear the word, it makes me cringe.  She really made a point in my little head. 

It made me laugh today when I read Amanda's post about the time she covered her middle fingers with foil before school one morning once she found out that it was bad.  Because that's so inconspicuous...

My mom also threatened to wash our mouths out with soap if we were sassy or had a foul mouth.  Thank goodness that never happened!  Gross.  But it probably would've made a point. :-)

Isn't it funny the things we remember growing up?!

To market, to market, to buy a...

The grocery store has the potential to be a very mundane experience. But, I've had the good fortune of visiting my neighborhood grocery store with friends on two separate occasions recently.  Let's just say  it was humorous.  Let me explain...

Shopping with a Girl
We get a basket with wheels, put our purses in, and then the Sonic drinks.  (Thank goodness for cup holders.)  We work from a list (I'm a list kinda girl), and we go around the store in an orderly fashion, getting enough food for the week.  When we get to the frozen food section, we are stopped by an associate who asks if we're having fun.  I think he was probably flirting with the only two young girls in the store.  Apparently most people don't smile when they grocery shop. We laugh, because it's funny, and continue on our way.  We stop at the make-up aisle, saunter down the shampoo section, and finally decide it's time to check out after we figure out what kind of dessert we're going to make next.  Then we proceed to have a conversation with the nice manager that knows us there.  I love neighborhoods.

Shopping with a Guy
He gets a basket to carry (which is great, because that means I don't have to do anything).  There is no list--after all, we're only going to get ingredients for the one meal we're about to make.  We sing along to the music playing in the store, and then he dances in the aisle simultaneously, which makes me laugh.  Then, we continue to laugh as the man from the bakery yells, "HOT bread!  HOT bread!"  I promise, it's hilarious to hear.  After a much shorter trip, we proceed to the checkout lane, and just happen to walk past all the hairspray, which reminds me that I'm about out.  I stop, saying that I need some.  Then, I realize that it might be rather difficult to justify to a guy with very short hair why I am purchasing a can of hairspray that costs $15.  I  quickly discover that they don't have the kind I want, which in turn classifies me as a "Hair Spray Diva".  I live in Texas--of course I am.  :-) And then we leave, just 15 minutes after we walked in the door.  But it was a very funny 15 minutes.

Needless to say, both experiences were quite entertaining.  I wouldn't recommend going to the grocery store alone--it's very boring .

Palm Sunday, circa 1997

{Palm Sunday 1997}

Last night at Choir practice, we went into the sanctuary to practice for Sunday.  We don't usually do that, so I knew whatever we would see that night would be more than just a song.  I was right!  

We started singing "Prepare Ye The Way," and little children, dressed like those above, started coming down the aisles waving palm branches.  And then a long-haired Jesus came in after them.  The best part was when he sat down at the front of the stage and all the kids sat around him.  It was such a cool image of "Let the children come to me..." Matthew 19:14.  

Palm Sunday is one of my favorite Sundays of the year.  I think because it is so joyful just before so much sorrow of Jesus' death, I just really like it.  And then there's the biggest celebration of all--Easter!  Love it.  Love it.  Love it.  

As the kids were coming down the aisles, I remembered that someone had posted this photo on Facebook a while back.  As you can see from the time stamp, it's from 1997.  I'm standing in the back in the blue "dress" (or whatever that thing's called!).  That's "Jesus'"real hair.  It always fascinated me growing up that a man's hair could look pretty that long, ha!

This photo brings back great memories of growing up in church and being in Children's Choir.  And I am still friends with all these people in this photo, believe it or not.  All the kids are either in college, graduated from college, engaged or married, and one has a kid!  Funny how life happens so quickly!

Hope you are enjoying this Easter season.  

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  Matthew 19:15

Also, if you are reading along, I'd love to know you've stopped by!  I'm curious about who actually reads this thing, ha.  So, if you want to leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you!  In the words of Molly Piper, "You may be a stranger, but you're not a stalker."  :-)

Restless

Do you ever get that "restless" feeling, like you are itching to go, do, or be something different?  Well, I've got it.  Do I have any profound answers as to what I want to do, or better yet should do?  Nope.  Not a clue. 

Perhaps I need to learn contentment, but I'm not finding much to be content about these days. (Hello...see my problem?)

Galations 5 has really resonated with me this week, and I particularly like the version from the Message (I have a parallel Bible so I can read the NIV alongside the Message.  I really like the context it provides.  For now, I'll just leave you with the very straight-forward Message version):

From Verse 21:
It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time...a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants...an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival...ugly parodies of community. I could go on...

From verses 22-23: (The fruit of the Spirit)
But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

And then Hebrews 12:1-3, also from the Message:
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

I find it rather ironic that I'm LITERALLY having trouble with my vision lately.  My eye doctor said it's from looking at a computer screen all day.  Great.  I'm taking it as a reminder that I need to fix my eyes on Jesus, and He will give me the next step.  Until then, I'm just going to have to learn some patience, which, perhaps, is the point of all this right now. 

Hope this provided you with some insight for today.  And if not, thanks for reading.  :-)

Skippy (Fox) Dog in the Snow

Last week I mentioned that I was thinking about going to take some photos of Skippy in the snow.  The Pioneer Woman gave some very helpful tips about how to get some great photos in the snow.

I was inspired--enough  to change the settings on my camera.  I usually just leave it on automatic, but I decided to be a little more adventurous, and I got a few that I'm pretty happy with.

I know I've talked about him before, but Skippy Dog is the most loved dog you'll ever meet.  He is getting up there in age, and with that, he's become a little (a lot) more stubborn.  I've started to come over to my parents' to take him on walks, and he always greets me with a wagging tail.  Medicine for the soul.

This is my favorite.  I think Skippy looks like a wolf or a fox in this photo.  It was taken in our backyard.  If you can believe this, the snow continued far into the night, and we really did get a ton of it.  

Blurry, but I still like it.

Also in our backyard--my mom is really good at making flower beds look great.  She has a green thumb that I lack (maybe that comes with age?).  You can't see any flowers right now, but I really loved this snowy butterfly.

These trees are right outside my apartment door.  I thought they were so beautiful with all the snow on them!

There's the possibility of snow again tomorrow.  This is really crazy.