Why?

Why are people at the gym nicer than the people at church?

I don't get it.

I don't go to the gym to meet people. I go to work out. I'd rather be left alone.

But when someone chooses the treadmill right next to yours, instead of any of the other eight ones available, and strikes up conversation, I guess you can't ignore it.

Anyway...

I am boiling water today. E coli was found in a water sample in the well where we get our water. Nice.

I have some new friends on Facebook, including one of my tallest cousins. I think he's like 6-7 or something like that. Very tall.

Major props go to my parents for watching the kids last Saturday. Chandler and I had the whole day to ourselves! PLUS my mom gave us money for shopping at a store that was having a huge sale and for attending a family theatre that I've been wanting to see for like four years. We also went to see Get Smart, which was hilarious. The kids were really good for my parents, so yea for that.

Last weekend was fabulous. We were at my parents', in the middle of nowhere, quiet, didn't get online and didn't miss it. We attended a cookout and fireworks show and visited with lots of family and friends. Very nice.

We are seeing some answered prayer during our prayer journey: the youth ministry that I've been working for wants me to continue working for them a few more hours a week!

I have bunco tonight. I am looking forward to getting out of the house.

I need to get ready. J requested that we go to "the place that has the carousel," which is a furniture store that also showcases a movie theater, a basketball court, and snack area with free drinks.

So if I can avoid the E coli from the water and West Nile from the mosquitos and all the bad drivers in Jackson today, I should be just fine.

Guess What I Got

 It's what every 34-year-old, minivan-driving, married mom of two desires...

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Currently Listening Free at Last - The Music and the Movie (Special Edition) By dc Talk see related

Another Year

Today I turn 34. As I look back on the past year, I see how God has provided for Chandler and me and our kids. He's brought us some great friends that we prayed for very much for quite some time. He's taken care of us financially, even with rising gas, grocery, and insurance prices. The kids have enjoyed their "school" and have wonderful teachers who love them. We keep learning week after week from awesome messages from our pastor. Those are just a few ways we've seen the hand of God working in our lives.

However, as I enter this new year, I look at my life and realize that I have never been so uncertain about so many things. It's kind of like I am walking along the path, but the surroundings and the way just ahead are foggy. For instance: are we doing the right thing sending our five-year-old to this kindergarten? Should I homeschool? Should we have more children? Should we adopt? Are we in the right church? Is Chandler at the right job? Do I need to find part-time work to provide more income? I mentioned to Chandler yesterday about taking 30 days to pray intensely for those things in our lives that need some wisdom and direction, and he thought that was a good idea. When we draw near to God, He will draw near to us, and when we seek Him with all our heart, He will be found.

So I am excited about beginning this new year with a renewed urgency to seek God and His direction for our lives. I had even thought about combining this 30-day prayer time with some type of fast, but I am not sure exactly how that would work for me. I had never thought about fasting before until our pastor discussed it and described a fast that he did around the Christmas season. Maybe I need to look into that a little more. But I am having cake today. :)

I don't necessarily feel like I will have all the answers to my questions after 30 days, but I am excited about what God will show us, and I really hope that Chandler and I will be on the same page about some of these issues.

In the meantime, a few days ago I had written down a list of things I have learned, mainly since being at our current church. These are not targeted at any one person or any particular group, but they are general speculations about life, some scriptural, some just off the top of my head. I have been meaning to post them but have been too busy until I made time today to finally sit down and write a new entry.

So here goes...Lessons Learned (warning: there are 34 of these...you know...since I am 34 now):

1. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight.

2. Proverbs provides plenty of verses about wisdom and fools.

3. Common sense can be practically nonexistent, even amongst 700 people.

4. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only that which is helpful in building others up.

5. "Sometimes there are too many chiefs and not enough Indians" (had to quote a friend on this!)

6. Love one another.

7. Forgive one another and MOVE ON.

8. Do not let bitterness entangle you.

9. Overlook each other's faults.

10. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

11. Build your house on the rock, not on the sand, so you don't sink.

12. People will disappoint you, and you will disappoint others.

13. Have nothing to do with dissentions, factions, and the like.

14. Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us.

15. Seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness.

16. As much as possible, live at peace with others.

17. Letting go = peace.

18. We have the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us for everything we need--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.

19. Some people are hard to love, but for someone out there, YOU are that person.

20. Do everything without complaining or arguing.

21. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so you will know the will of God.

22. Sometimes you'll never be part of the group, no matter how hard you try.

23. Do not grow weary in doing good, for in the proper time, you will reap a harvest.

24. I really appreciate those few who have invested time to get to know the REAL me.

25. I have been praying and searching to start an accountability group for years, but although it's frustrating to not have that yet, I am thankful, because maybe it means I haven't had the right people in my life for that.

26. ALL THINGS work together for GOOD.

27. Some 80-year-olds have similar thoughts and ideas of 30-year-olds, but it is surprising how many 30-year-olds act like they're 80.

28. It is beneficial to move away from the 15 square miles you've lived your entire life inside.

29. Pray for your pastor and support your church leaders. If you don't like them personally or don't approve of something they did, please find another place of worship. Do not stay and gripe about every little thing. It is difficult to achieve church unity with those who are against the church and its leaders.

30. I'd rather be wise than right.

31. Believe it or not, there are people who don't know who everybody is, where everything is, where they are supposed to go, or how things operate. To assume otherwise looks very unprofessional and cliquish.

32. No matter how nice you are to everyone, there are just some rude people out there.

33. Sometimes in dealing with difficult people, you need to pray, "change ME" instead of "change them."

34. Fake niceness is exhausting.

So there you go. I think I will keep writing these down to remind myself and teach my kids as they get older. If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I look forward to this new year and sharing what God teaches me!

Genius

Yeah, I made good grades in school. But I was never as smart as this guy.

In my Ole Miss Alumni Review magazine, there's a story on a current student who has "programmed software that stores coupon bar codes on a chip in the form of a convenient key chain device." He said his mom clipped coupons but had arthritis, so he wanted to figure out a way to help her. So he developed a software program and has filed for a patent. It's already been tested successfully in the Oxford-area grocery stores, the story says.

How smart do you have to be to do something like that? I mean, I don't even have a clue as to how to begin developing and programming software. That is waaaaaaaaaaayyy over my head...kinda like the stuff Chandler does. He's an environmental engineer. It took me years to understand what he did. Sometimes I still don't. But at least now I can say a little more than "he makes sure we breathe clean air."

My expertise is in the grammar/writing/editing/designing world, but for some reason, I couldn't remember how to type the word "genius." I wanted to put more vowels in it. I actually had to google it. Apparently my coffee hasn't kicked in yet. ;)

Stupid Stuff and Waffling

Okay, I know stupid stuff happens everywhere...but...I am just tired of it!

I found out my three-year-old was allowed to play with a DRY ERASE MARKER at her very first day of Mother's Day Out for the summer (it meets once a week). She got some on her shirt, of course, and it didn't come out in the wash. I had JUST BOUGHT this shirt, and although it didn't cost much, it's one of the few she has that should get her through the summer.

AAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My home ec majoring friend told me to try Pine Sol, so we'll see if that works any better. But WHY WHY WHY give a three-year-old a dry erase marker??? My son has come home from church with marker on his shirt, but it was a CRAYOLA WASHABLE MARKER, which is FINE to give a preschooler. Dry erase markers? Not so much.

COME ON, PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's another "what were you thinking?" moment: last night I was driving home from the gym at 10:00 p.m. I rounded a corner and noticed just in time that an 18-wheeler looked like it had pulled over to park in the right lane (which I was in), so I quickly switched lanes to avoid hitting him. Well...then I noticed the front part of the truck was moving. The truck was turning around IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I slammed on my brakes, as did the car behind me, as did the six or seven cars coming from the opposite way. I do not know what possessed this truck driver to do a u-turn across five lanes of a very busy road...but...thank goodness we all saw him in time. The speed limit on that part of the road is 40, but most people FLY, doing 60-70, and if someone had been going that fast, it would have been bad.

Now, on to the "waffling" part of my post: I am seriously waffling about our decision to send our son to the public school kindergarten. It's probably just me, wanting to protect him, shielding him from the "real world." I am definitely not ready to let him go yet. Is he really going to learn what he needs to know for college and for life, or is it all about test scores? Is he going to learn more from his classmates than he will learn from his teacher? I just don't know. Private school is completely ruled out due to lack of funds, which leaves the option of homeschooling. Many of my friends homeschool. I never thought I could mentally handle it, but I am considering it a little more. Chandler thinks our son will be fine at the kindergarten where we plan to send him, but I don't want to settle for "fine." Don't we all want the best for our children?

I'm sure I'm just freaking out...but...I really need some wisdom and direction and clear thinking...about a LOT of things...