Marky Mark

So the preacher at my church is Mark. Let me start by saying, I LOVE HIM! He totally cracks me up. Today, whilst eating lunch with some of the staff, Mark shares that he wants to take his teenage son camping to see if he likes it or not before investing in a good tent...so naturally, he asked Doug (the adult ed. and involvement minister....aka: Mr. Boy Scouts of America himself) if he could borrow one. Mark then gets off on a jag about how "camping" is a cuss word to his wife and daughter. In order to illustrate his point a little further, he uses it in the following manner: "You son of a camper!" I don't know if this translates as well to someone who a) wasn't there, b) doesn't know Mark, or c) both a and b. But let me tell you, I laughed a good hearty laugh over it.

time for some spice!

i decided it'd been too long since i'd changed my template...so enjoy the new look. who knows how long i'll keep it. and yes, this is the most exciting thing i've done today. i know you're jealous!

hmm

So I was thinking recently in some quiet time with my Father that He is really awesome and His plan for my life is perfect. Now I typically think this on a regular basis, but there are those beautiful ah-ha moments when the light goes off in my head and I not only believe it, but I KNOW it to my core in a way that is so profound and complete that there is no room to question, speculate, or doubt. And that's kind of where I've been residing lately. Can I tell you how incredible that is?!

It overwhelms me that our Creator took time to make me and didn't stop there, because he also takes the time to love me, to forgive me, to discipline me, to continually mold me so that I am more like Him. ME. He does that for ME! I don't deserve it and could never even try...but He knew that from the beginning and was willing to have a go with me anyway.

And what's even better is the knowledge that He'll never leave me, He'll never forsake me, and He is working for my good because I love Him. He has a plan for me. A whole, long, thought-out plan that I can actually accomplish because He's going to help me. Out of the billions of people on this planet, God is taking time out of his busy day for me. He doesn't even have to check His Palm Pilot or pencil me in on His day planner. He thinks I'm that special.

Anyway, that's just something I was thinking about and wanted to share.

Caring Sisters

This is one of the many lovely gifts I received from my Caring Sister at church. She knows me so well....

vanity schmanity

I'm an opinionated person and despite the general fluff I post on this blog for entertainment's sake, there are plenty of other things I ponder and discuss with others. One such thing is this new breed of men and women who have opted against drinking and drugging and instead select a new drug of choice: the euphoria of an ego boost.

I think it's fairly safe to generalize that most people enjoy a good compliment. And even further, the knowledge that someone finds you attractive or might be interested in you provides a higher level of personal satisfaction and positive self-concept. There's nothing wrong with that. Where this gets a bit twisted is when people toy with and manipulate others in order to achieve this self-esteem "high."

I saw an episode of Kept on VH1, a new contest-based "reality show" on which men vie for the opportunity to be Jerry Hall's "kept man." These guys have signed up for this vanity show of their own volition. But I still am quite intrigued by the whole situation.

What are your thoughts?

a mighty wind is blowin'...

Wow...today was a day unlike many others. I was in the midst of a crazy afternoon. I had about a million errands to run for work. One was a stop at Sam's Club where I had to purchase an enormous amount of food and beverage for a cookout tomorrow. That is the scene for this most unfortunate event: the Sam's Club parking lot.

I was minding my own business as I was unloading my flatbed cart full of stuff into my car. And then it happened -- a mighty wind came blowing by and decided it needed to take my skirt up with it! Horror! And then it turned hilarious as I turned around and saw that not one but two Hare Krishna guys had the misfortune of walking by just in time to catch the 3pm showing of...well...me.

I'm not sure what Hare Krishna would be doing at Sam's other than perhaps buying flowers in bulk. Last I checked, our local Sam's didn't stock hand drums or tambourines. Since their bright orange robes looked brand-spanking-new and kinda itchy, maybe they wanted some Tide and Downy to do some laundry. I don't know. But what I do know is that whatever was on their list, they got more than their wholesale membership bargained for today.

Interesting Quiz

I wasn't going to do another quiz for awhile, but Stacey had this one on her blog so of course I had to take it. And the results were fairly interesting. I'm not sure why it makes me sound like a charming hooker, but....


Your Existing Situation
Works well in cooperation with others. Needs a personal life of mutual understanding and freedom from discord.

Your Stress Sources
Feels that life has far more to offer and that there are still important things to be achieved--that life must be experienced to the fullest. As a result, she pursues her objectives with a fierce intensity that will not let go of things. Becomes deeply involved and runs the risk of being unable to view things with sufficient objectivity, or calmly enough; is therefore in danger of becoming agitated and of exhausting her nervous energy. Cannot leave things alone and feels she can only be at peace when she has finally reached her goal.

Your Restrained Characteristics
The situation is preventing her from establishing herself, but she feels she must make the best of things as they are.
Circumstances force her to compromise and to forgo some pleasures for the time being. Capable of achieving physical satisfaction through sexual activity.

Your Desired Objective
Wants interesting and exciting things to happen. Able to make herself well-liked by her obvious interest and by the very openness of her charm. Over-imaginative and given to fantasy or day-dreaming.

Your Actual Problem
Has a fear that she might be prevented from achieving the things she wants. This leads her to employ great personal charm in her dealings with others, hoping that this will make it easier for her to reach her objectives.

Water, Water....EVERYwhere!

Yesterday morning and early afternoon, I worked long and hard spray painting sheets to use in decorating my classroom at camp. When I finished, I felt that I'd really accomplished something. It was a big project and I was pretty proud of myself for slaving away in the heat and humidity for so long. As a reward, I went home to enjoy a nice long shower. Until the shower decided it had other plans, that is. I was just about to rinse the conditioner from my hair when suddenly water began spraying out onto the ceiling and all over the wall! Why? Oh, because for some reason the shower decided to crack on open. The best I can figure is that there was too much water pressure or something. I don't know. It was odd, but I definitely spent a good long while laughing at myself and the situation as I mopped up the mess. Am I the only one things like this happen to??

Metamorphosis!

It's natural to wonder what I'm doing with my life now that I've moved to San Antonio and started my new little adventure in Children's Ministry. So here is proof that I do actually work. This is the room I helped design and create for our summer Wednesday night series called "Metamorphosis!" It is for kids Kinder - 5th Grade and it focuses on God-led changed based in Proverbs. We have "bugs" that join us for little object lessons each week, as well as that huge puppet guy (it's actually called a "puppetume" but you don't really care about that) and Mr. Eric, who is our emcee each week. The kids seem to be having a blast!

ode to netflix

I'm an addict. I get so caught up in the excitement of something new that I often don't want to let it end. And in an effort to capture the complete enjoyment available, I surround myself with this object until the novelty wears off or my attention is grabbed by something newer, shinier, or more sparkly.

It's probably for the best that we didn't have any non-fish pets as children because I might have rubbed the fur off a puppy from constant petting. I wasn't allowed to put my hands in the fish tank. Plus I couldn't reach it. But I spent many an hour staring at the fish inside every time we brought home a new bagful.

My latest addiction is Netflix. It is awesome. You can pick all these great DVDs and rank them in the order in which you'd like to view them. They will automatically draft your account for a reasonable monthly fee and send you movies as quickly as you can get through them. There is no hassle, no policy on how long you can keep a movie, and no postage to pay. You can also set up friends on your account so you can share movie recommendations, ratings, etc. You'll never have to see a bad movie again...provided you trust the rating of your friends. (If you'd like the name of someone to NOT trust on her ratings, click the link.)

I used to check my mail extremely infrequently, but now, I love to check it. Why? Because I know there will be something other than a dreaded bill waiting for me. It's like getting a present every few days that is just what I've always wanted because actually, I've picked it out.