A Survey

1. What is your favorite thing to snack on while blogging?

I don't usually eat while blogging, but I did just finish a nice bowl of Cap'n Crunch Berries prior to starting this survey.

2. What is one thing you wouldn’t want to live without?

My cell phone which keeps me connected to my loved ones who aren't near me

3. Beach, mountains or farm? Where would you live if you had a choice?

I live at the beach so I'd definitely choose mountains or farm. Preferably a farm in East TN where I could see the mountains.

4. What’s your least favorite chore / household duty?

If you looked at my house, you'd say the whole thing. But honestly, I hate doing the dishes.

5. Who do people say you remind them of?

I look like my mother. I act like my father.

6. Prefer parties and socializing or staying home with the family?

I love to be home. And I love to entertain small groups of people in my home. I do not like to go out to parties.

7. What’s your all time favorite movie?

The Wedding Date. Even though I would never take $5000 out of my 401k to hire a male escort as a wedding date. But I would take $5000 out to fly first class in the nice plane overseas.

8. Do you sleep in your make-up or remove it like a good little girl every night?

Unless I bathe at night, I sleep in it. It makes no difference in the status of my skin so I don't see the value in it.

9. Do you have a hidden talent or a deep desire to learn something that you’ve never had a chance to learn? What is it?

I would love to be able to cook gourmet meals.

10. What’s one strange thing that you’re really good at?

Making sausage gravy. Seriously. It's good.

11. What first attracted you to your spouse?

I'm sorry, what part of single in the header of this blog don't you get?

12. What is something you love to smell?

Cookies baking

13. Tell something about you that you know irritates people.

I have a really loud voice. I can't help it. My voice carries well. I need to work on this.

14. When you have extra money, what’s the first thing you think to do with it?

What is extra money? But if I did have some, it would go toward either the house/car or camper fund.

15. Are you a silent laugher or a loud laugher? What makes you laugh the hardest?

I think I'm a normal laugher. Not silent, not snorting, not loud.

A good comedy can keep me laughing for days.

16. Where is your favorite place to shop?

The internet. Seriously. I am not a shopper and if I can find/buy online, I am happiest.

17. What’s one thing you’d do more often if you had more time?

Spend more time with my family

18. Are you a big spender or frugal?

A mix. I save adequately, but I will drop the money on something I want (normally electronics) if I can pay cash. I do not owe on anything except my house and vehicle (which I am going to pay off quickly!!!!)

19. Who is your favorite character of all time?

I have to pick two here. Noah and Allie from "The Notebook." I have read that book at least half a dozen times.

20. Would you want to be famous?

I generally do not like large groups of people, so I'm going with no.

Post #300 Brought to You by a Flight Delay in Atlanta

I would like to thank God for allowing it to snow in Denver and giving me an extra 2 hours aboard this wonderful airplane. I would also like to thank God for the 2 free seats next to me in which I was able to spread out and take a nap. Note: a nice gentleman just appeared who will be taking the aisle seat for the flight. Not a problem.
I would like to thank Krystal for putting in a kiosk restaurant near my gate so I could experience food that cannot be experienced in Charleston.

I would like to thank you, my 8 readers, who continue to come back for more ridculous posts on a semi-consistent basis.

I would like to thank the Delta flight attendants for being so nice through this whole delay, even giving me a flight update from their phone when I wondered if I had enough time to get off the plane for food.

- would like to thank Verizon and BlackBerry, without whom this blog post would have been impossible.

Thank you all. May the next 100 be as much fun as the last 300.

10 Positive Things

This past week was a pain in the behind for me, in more ways that one. I worked more hours than I have worked in a long time (meaning late nights AND early mornings.) I have a major decision to make surrounding one of my dogs. So, in an effort to try and cheer myself up for tomorrow, here are 10 things I am thankful for or were positives of my past week.

1) Jesus loves me this I know. Can I get an "Amen?"

2) I got to have dinner with a good friend on Monday night whom I used to see several times a week. She is now at a different job, so we have to plan dates. We ate at The Mustard Seed. I had the Pad Thai. Not the best Pad Thai I have ever eaten, but it was good. My friend had the sesame chicken and I would definitely get that in the future. I think many of their entrees look good though.

3) I only worked 8 hours on Wednesday.

4) I got to veg out at my house Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night with no plans. I may have been working on my couch, but I was still on my couch.

5) I saw the new Chris Rock documentary "Good Hair" on Saturday. Oh. My. Word. Let me just say. White women, if your husband complains about the amount of money you spend on your hair or on hair products, make him watch this and he'll be thankful. Black women, I commend you for being able to sit in a chair for that long to have a weave put in your hair. The part of the movie that really got to me were the women in India who sacrifice their hair to the gods in an effort to receive blessings. If they only knew that wasn't necessary, the Christ did the sacrificing for us and we only have to receive Him to be blessed.

6) Shopping. I'm headed out to a colder lands this week and my wardrobe for Charleston will not be effective where I am headed. More "D"etails on this later this week.

7) I was able to talk to my friend who just moved for a bit on Facebook. I am so thankful we have the technology we have so we can keep in touch with those who mean so much to us.

8) Sweet potato friends made from sweet potatoes I dug with my own hands. YUM!

9) My roommate offering to take me to the airport at 5 AM this week. And for skipping big church to stay home with me because I was having my 40th mental breakdown of the week. I repaid the favor by helping her with the 5 year olds. I now know a magic trick. True story.

10) The promises that tomorrow is a new day. Praise Jesus!

Thank you, Beth

I blogged a bit on Monday that I've been reflecting on some things in my life. I don't know when/if I'll share the details on here with you, but I know one thing for sure: I do not have a way with words. I will probably never be called to write a great speech or a novel. But Beth Moore is good at words. It's a gift of hers. And yesterday she posted this blog post:

Like Slaves in Search of Little Masters

I would encourage you to read the whole article, but here are the highlights that I know God intended for me to read.

We forget we’ve been set free. We keep returning back to that enslaved way of thinking and living and find ourselves in bondage to a host of little masters. Most of these things are not bad in themselves. Maybe they’re even good. They’ve just taken more authority and attention than they should. I’ve had one of those recently. That’s not true. I’ve had a lot more than one but there is one in particular I became most aware of. It wasn’t a bad thing. Not a sinful thing. It had just become too much of a thing. It had the makings of an addiction and, Lord, have mercy, I’m the last person who needs to open that door again. I had lost the ability to be moderate with it. People can say what they want about whether or not we can hear the inaudible voice of God in our spirits but, as I live and breathe, there I was doing that thing again and I felt Him say, “STOP IT.”

----------------------------------------

Something may be permissible that has grown out of proportion until it has ceased to be beneficial. It has taken a place of mastery. Authority. We feel enslaved to it. Maybe some of us can actually go from addiction straight to moderation but most of us have to actually stop the thing for a while to give the power over us time to break. Then, if our flesh dies down about it and we can manage to rediscover that beautiful thing called moderation, we can reintroduce it. IF we will employ the strength of the Holy Spirit within us to command it to behave and keep its place. I’ve had a few other things in my life, things that offered no benefit whatsoever, that simply had to be cast out for good. And, after I could get over those first pangs of craving, I gladly said good riddance.

I think Beth stated it very well. What I've been reflecting on, and in some instances removing, is not sin as the world would see it. But it is something that took my attention away from things I should be focusing on. Thanks, Beth, for taking a break from your studies to post this yesterday. I know God had one very specific use for it.

I Should Have Known

When I put this on Twitter Monday morning, I should have known it was a sign that I needed to go back home and just call it a day. It's Thursday morning at 8:18 and I will have my 40 hours in by 11:00 AM. If we count the hours I worked on Sunday, then I'm already there. I only remember two other instances of payrolls that were this insane. Must. Get. Sleep. RandomCarrie requires more than she has received this week. I see weekend naps in my future.

Why Verizon is Still the Bomb

The arrow pointing to that pushpin? Yep, it's pointing to Anchorage, Alaska. Why, do I care, you ask? Because my favorite cousin D is moving there in 2 weeks. So, yeah. I need Verizon to service that area, and they do.

So, road trip anyone? It's only $500 in gas and 72 hours in a car. No biggie. We can definitely stop for bathroom breaks. There will be none of this in my car.

Jealous Kind

Lately I've been doing a lot of reflecting on my life. I will blog more about this soon, but one song I have been listening to a lot is "Jealous Kind" by Jars of Clay. Here are the lyrics.

i built another temple to a stranger
i gave away my heart to the rushing wind
i set my course to run right into danger
i sought the company of fools instead of friends

Chorus:
you know i've been unfaithful
with lovers in lines
while you're turning over tables
with the rage of a jealous kind
i chose the gallows to the aisle
thought that love would never find
hanging ropes will never keep you
and your love of a jealous kind
love of a jealous kind

tryin' to jump away from rock that keeps on spreading
solace in the shift of the sinking sand
i'd rather feel the pain all too familiar
than be broken by a lover i don't understand
'cause i don't understand

[CHORUS]

love of a jealous kind, yeah
love of a jealous kind
love of a jealous kind

one hundred other lovers, more, one hundred other altars
if i should slow my pace and finally subject me to grace
and love that shames the wise
betrays the hearts deceit and lies
and breaks the back of foolish pride

[CHORUS]

love of a jealous kind
love of a jealous kind
love of a jealous kind