Because I should be writing a paper for Rob...

I decided to write a blog post instead. I dropped my little friend off at VOH last night after our first successful venture "out." We got some cool new glasses, some rockin head phones and the much sought after duct tape, for duck tape braclets. Apparently you really can do anything with duct tape. And, I had no idea it came in SO many different colors. Whatever...

So Melissa texts me..."are you writing papers tonight." Grammatically we have to look at the verb in this question "are" - my thoughts..."I should, but I'm not sure I are." I answer back "prolly, but you can come over and fyi I'm starving."

We decide to get some greek food. Awesome. Melisa says "I kinda want to see a movie, I haven't seen one in forever" Ok, I'm game cuz my brain is shut down anyway, nothing noteworthy coming out of it tonight as it tries to defrag whats left of the last several days.

We check out my faithful Plugged in online site. We decide mall cop sounds funny, and I love that guy, whatever his name is. I could look at his eyes foreva(!) and it's a nice bonus that he's hilarious...so we eat some lamb which Melissa infomred me wasn't only lamb but also beef...I had no idea.

I was always a little learly of the giant weird cone of meat that they take what appears to be a big curry comb to, but hey who am I to criticize this ancient peoples methods? For the record, I only consumed my first cone meat filled pita "sammich" in the last couple years. After I tasted it, the cone meat anxiety dimminished...I wander away...I say all that to say this:

We ate gyros and drove to the movie theater. It was about 8:40, the movie was scheduled to begin at 9:10. We sat in the parking at which time Melissa says "do you really want to do this still, I kinda just want to go to bed." In reply "ah ya, lets just go home."

I am now officially my parents. Great. I just hope my arthritis doesn't start acting up.

I'm moving to a nice condo in florida.

Two Pizzas and a Yellow-blue bus

It's been a long time. Like the longest time ever. It doesn't matter much at this point. I could probably post all kinds of heretical remarks up in here and I don't think anyone would even know, because I think I've lost my audience...

I have to get something down here about the last week with my MABC peeps for the eternal blog annuls. It's been a great second semester so far. I'm learning to "see with new eyes" and some fundamental theology. Which has been good, somewhat challenging but I'm thankful to have a better understanding of some of our doctrine. I know lots of new multi-syllable words now and can even use them in a sentence!

I value the time we have in class, to get to know and learn from the other students, one of my cool homies is from Russia, via Washington state. He tries to teach us a word here and there and there's always a story to tell, so far I learned the following...sorta.

Yellow-blue bus = I love you
Two pizzas = fool

Ven (my Russian brother) is a blessing to the class, amongst the rest of them. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to learn as I do in class. Everyday, thanks in part to Rob's more formal and detailed introduction of Herman U. Tics, I see more and more how undeserving I am of His favor and grace, most certainly including but not limited to my place in this program amongst so many whose wisdom and experience I get to learn from.

Oh, and if any of you are interested I have some referral forms and I'm not sure but maybe Rob will give me some extra credit points *wink, wink*!

The price of pineapple...the tablecloth tale...and finally share some thanks

I went to Meijer tonight after having some serious fun with the Jr Highers at our teen stewardship pizza and bowling banquet. Well, I should clarify it was fun until Bosmid took it upon himself to cheat to get ahead. He'll have to take care of that on his own...mmmmhmmmm nice role modeling there. And before he denies it, I have witnesses. He might want to say it wasn't really cheating, so we'll just say "poor sportsmanship" instead. That's right, its the quiet ones that surprise you.

So, I'm over losing a game of bowling to my so-called friend in front of scads of teens and happily shopping. I had just realized that the coffee I needed to buy for dad was going to land me a free gallon of milk. I was all like SCORE thanks dad! I'd just come from the produce section. We're big fruit and veggie eaters so I had a bunch, and since I don't have anything that needs to go in the child seat region, I had my pineapple and blackberries rollin' up top.

I'm innocently headed from coffee to milk and this dude says hey, I look up and he has this creepy look, he oddly remarks "Hey, Hey nice pineapple." I'm like wha...did he just...I don't even know wha...*BANG* (we're talking supersonic everyone in the store and at church probably heard it). I ran my cart into one of those random poles in the middle of the aisle. Creepy pineapple stalker guy busts out laughing and I continue on my journey to get my free milk a shade or two pinker than a minute earlier.

Oh and I hear that tonight some of you got to hear that I've been sleeping in the other bedroom b/c I have a tablecloth laid over my bed in my bedroom. Let me just say, it was a REALLY busy week last week, I had new employee training, which means working 10-12 hour days PLUS, it was the begining of the new MABC semester. I didn't want the thing to wrinkle in the dryer and moving it and folding the other laundry in the basket on the bed is pretty low on the priority list, after sleep, eat, read, write, recover. Let me also say, I think I should be able to sleep in any of my three bedrooms, without risk of public ridicule...we'll see who gets fed next time she gets tired of tontinos pizza and kraft mac and cheese....hmph!

I'll admit it's pretty funny and I'm glad the nameless rat that told the story got such a kick out of it. I'm sure she owed me one. I hope you all got a good laugh. I know I have purpose, I gotta do my part to keep it interesting for all y'all.

All kidding aside, so thankful for so much. I'm even thankful for the price of pineapple. :)

I have much more than I deserve in all things and especially in the way of friends, not just friends, great godly friends that lift me up and let me have it as necessary. You know who you are.

Love you Lots!

Last year I asked you to help me in my quest for thankfulness by sharing what you're thankful for. I think I'll make it an annual event. Here we go 2nd annual thankfulness sharing event...don't be shy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Great friends have I

My beloved friends have been sharing more than I'd like with me over the past several weeks. I keep getting sick.

This time I didn't really realize how sick I was until about 4 hours after I'd gotten my free flu shot. Awesome timing. So, it's my guess that the last 48 hours of misery have resulted from a multi-faceted attack of several viral components. Those shared with me by friends and those I allowed myself to be willingly inoculated with while my normal systems of defense were already compromised.

So...when I'm sick I go through a lot of tissues about 3 boxes in the last two days in fact. I made myself go to CVS this morning for OTC drugs and because I was out of tissues and my nose was starting to remind me there is a difference in TP and Puffs plus. Kleenex with lotion were buy one get one free, and even in an infirm state I'm on the look out for the best deal.

For some reason I just turned over my friendly box of Kleenex with lotion. This is what it said on the bottom of my box:

"Kiss calm, cool and collected goodbye!
Don't be bashful. Don't be shy. It's time
to unabashedly let it out! So be messy.
Be imperfect. Be liberated and free.
Be what you are. Be human.
Blow it loud and blow it proud.
With KLEENEX tissue."

Thank you kleenex for giving me permission to blow my nose as I need to, without shame or threat of social injustice.

Think about all the women you have known, do know and will know

And click here.

I thought this was very well done. The statistics are staggering.

Seriously, 81% of 10 year olds, that brings me to tears.




Identity.
People Pleasing.
Control.
Stewardship.
Truth.
Creation or Creator.

Desiring a Dose of Dickens

"Men's courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead," said Scrooge. "But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me!" ~ C.D.

I love that quote.

So, last year Jeannie and I took Becki (German Becki, HI BECKI!! We'll miss you this year) to this production because I in all my earthly wisdom decided it was a very American Christmas thing to do - take the German girl to see an English play, ya ok so my earthly wisdom doesn't amount to much. We're all surprised. It only got better when the very friendly guy sitting next to us starting talking to us at intermission. He was trying to talk to Becki as well at which time I intervened for her as she was so shy in her ability to speak English with folks.

Upon finding out Becki was from Germany he went about telling us how his grandfather fought against the Germans in WW II. That was a bit on the awkward side, but nothing as you all well know that I've not grown accustomed to. Oh Becki, it won't be the same with out you!!!! Wish we could fly you over, what a bunch of laughs that was.

Oh and don't forget how Jeannie more/less sorta got schmoosed into getting un-violently mugged. We'd all just been washed of our cynicism, our hope in man-kind rekindled, de-scrooged if you will. It was a very vulnerable moment. I think that guy specifically cased out the theater knowing we'd all be easy targets. By the time I starting scratching my head and figured out what had happened and got the full story there wasn't much that could be done but laugh, embracing my 35 seconds of bliss prior to the firm reestablishment of my cynicism.

So, if you haven't checked facebook, I'm buying tickets for the 3 p.m. show on Nov. 22nd. Last year was SO GREAT. The theater was great the production was great, oh my. I can't say enough how great it was. So come go with me! I guarantee enjoyment will be found.

Bring 40 bucks with you to class on Sunday. I'll order tickets soon!

From behind the bar and back

It's been an item of conversation somewhat regularly it seems. And, if you missed out on all those I was once a "bar-maid." At a time in my life when Jesus was about the furthest thing from my mind it was but one of my occupations of choice while finishing my B.S. *I do not advise this course of action, the bar-maid part, feel free to pursue higher education, it comes highly recommended*

It's funny how things run together sometimes. I'm teaching a serious to the Jr. High ladies for the last two and the next two weeks: "Leaders Serve." Tonight we discussed the power behind our service: The Holy Spirit. I have a book from RBP (regular Baptist Press) that I use to help me build lessons. It brought me to some texts I thought peculiar for the topic, namely the verse I've come to know as one of the "no drinking" texts.

Ephesians 5:18

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit."

Now, I'm not here to open the "should we drink or not" can of worms and I'd ask we don't. This post is not a public forum for airing your thoughts about it. The point is this: I've always read the first sentence which leads me to the stance that many take: we should abstain from alcohol. I think that notion has overshadowed my coupling the first sentence with the second.

I wonder if I've been missing the big picture from this text forever, it sure seems like I have. The former bar-maid has seen her share of folks under the influence of alcohol. It's often not difficult to spot them. They walk different, talk different, act different etc, because they have alcohol in large quantities residing in their bodies. Their poor liver can't possibly metabolize it at the speed they're consuming and the alcohol starts influencing their ability to function.

So this verse says don't be under the influence of alcohol in that way, but instead be under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Yes?

Are my actions as such that someone could pick me out as under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the way I once picked out those under the influence of alcohol?

Can I pick out Christians the way I can pick out those that have had too much to drink? Maybe I've got this all screwed up, maybe I've totally missed the target. I'm not a Bible scholar, we all know that, but it's given me enough pause to think it over.

I learn so much more studying for those lessons than those poor girls that have to listen to be stumble through presenting it. I'm quite certain.

I hope maybe some days someone might see something and think she's clearly under some sort of positive influence, but I'm thinking it may not be as often as I'd like. It continues to amaze me how the Word of God works. How many times I've read that verse and never had a thought in this direction. The Word is alive. I'm thankful to have come to understand what that really means since coming out from behind the bar.