The RIGHT Way to Raise a Child...

I knwo I've alreayd posted for today, BUT I thought you would all love this story. So here it is. Enjoy!

One day a 6 year old girl was sitting in a classroom. The teacher was going to explain evolution to the children. The teacher asked a little boy a question.

TEACHER: Tommy do you see the tree outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Tommy, do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Go outside and look up and see if you can see the sky.
TOMMY: Okay. (He returned a few minutes later) Yes, I saw the sky.
TEACHER: Did you see God up there?
TOMMY: No.
TEACHER: That's my point. We can't see God because he isn't there. Possibly he just doesn't exist.

A little girl spoke up and wanted to ask the boy some questions. The teacher agreed and the little girl asked the boy -

LITTLE GIRL: Tommy, do you see the tree outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yessssss!
LITTLE GIRL: Did you see the sky?
TOMM Y : Yessssss!
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy, do you see the teacher?
TOMMY: Yes
LITTLE GIRL: Do you see her brain?
TOMMY: No
LITTLE GIRL: Then according to what we were taught today in school, she possibly may not even have one!

(Go Get 'em, Girl!)

"FOR WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT"
II CORINTHIANS 5:7

Debbie Downer

We all know at least one of them. They casually walk up to your desk and solemly proceed to complain complain complain about anything they possibly can. They refuse to be happy, it seems!

Well the Debbie Downer here at my work sure poses a challenge for me. I do my best to try and make her smile at LEAST once a day. Today? No luck yet, but it's still early. She came over complaining about people not following a schedule (mind you, the meeting was still minutes away from actually being scheduled to start), and about how stupid the meeting is to begin with, and blah blah blah blah blaahhh. This lady is more miserable than a deer in holiday traffic on 295. I just can't figure her out! So I crack jokes and show her pictures of Austin (she really melts with the dog pics and stories). I mean - normally I'm the kind of person that will start dancing (more like seizing/flailing) in my car at a Red Light just to make the grumpy person in the car next to me laugh, but tha tmight be a LITTLE awkward, seeing as I WORK with this lady. But hey - maybe that will work?! I'll let you know how it turns out. ;-)


The Result of the Plug:

So last week, I posted a BIG PLUG for you all. And here's my RAVE Review:

This weekend The Heritage Community Church hosted a Murder Mystery Dessert Theatre performed by the VERB Student Ministries. Upon arriving, I felt as though the show would be your average slightly-comedic short drama, and the desserts would be simple slices of pie, etc. MUCH to my surprise AND delight I was WAY underestimating the event's potential. To start, the dessert was delicious and mostly homemade. We were not given a "little slice of homemade heaven", but MORE so were each given enough to practically feed a small village. Yes, of course that's an exaggeration, but they did NOT skimp on the food.

Then began the production we had all come to see. And the truth? They did a FANTASTIC job! I was so impressed! Even as good as I know my big Sister to be at directing, I was still blown away. I was laughing almost the entire time (which doesn't always help when you're supposed to be the photographer) and was totally captivated by the story. The production was very well Cast, and each actor brought a lot to the table. Even the very investigative Coroner went well beyond her job description.

But I'd have to say that the "Best Acting" award would be a toughie - for me it was between the Groom, played by Sam Arvaneh (who also happened to be the victim and put on a very... eh... convincing(?) death scene) and the Best Man, who turned out to be the murderer. Who knew?! (Well TWO people, in fact, figured out the "Who-done-it" and were given gift cards to near-by restaurants for their splendid detective work). But if I had to pick, I'd say that the part of Clifford Henderson (?), the Best Man, played by Leon Riley was exceptional. Anyone who is willing to full-on PICK HIS NOSE on stage, in front of a room CROWDED with people, has definitely earned the award. Well played, Leon... (hopefully some of you will join me in congratulating my "pick". :-P ha ha ha).


SOMETHING NEW:

So this weekend I tried something new. Some of you may have heard of it, other may be a bit puzzled, but here it is - I got my eyebrows threaded! It's this really awesome technique that Indian people do. They use thread (literally a piece/spool of string) and shape your eyebrows. It's so cool! There may be a youtube video out there somewhere that you can look up, so check it out. Anywho - it doesn't peel off skin like waxing can, and I didn't walk out with puffy red sticky eyebrows, either! :-) I looked normal right after she finished. PRETTY cool, if you ask me. The best part? It was only 10 bucks! That's right - cool AND cheap. ha ha

So for those of you brave enough to try it... you should. It was awesome! and it's way more accurate than waxing can be. Let me know what you think, if you give it a shot. I'd be eager to see different people's reactions to it. If I remember, I'll post a picture of my eyebrows tonight (I know it soudns weird, but you've got to see how even they are and how good of a job she did).


Well that's it for today. A bit less info than normal, but maybe that's a good thing, every once in a while.


So if I don't see ya - Good Afternoon, Good Evening, and Goodnight! *chomps teeth together like Jim Carey*

The BIG PLUG

Here it is - the moment you've ALL been waiting for (okay, well I'm still new at this. EVENTUALLY you will all eagerly await my BIG PLUG moments... just wait - you'll see!!) It's time for my BIG PLUG! Something is coming up that I want you to know about or be a part of - so check it out! This today's BIG PLUG is for a REALLY good cause!!

The BIG PLUG

Murder Mystery Dessert Theatre @ Heritage Community Church


This Saturday Night, 3 May, at 6:00pm (1800), VERB (the students of Heritage Community Church) will be performing a Murder Mystery Dessert Theatre to raise money for their missions trip to Puerto Rico this summer. It's the twisting story of "As Long As We Both Shall Live" - the wedding of wealthy socialite, Miss Kirby Sutton to Mr. Roger Blake, becomes the setting for this baffling mystery comedy. As guests arrive, they are welcomed as friends of the bride or friends of the groom and seated accordingly. Following a wedding feast, the play unfolds to reveal there are several people who desire that this marriage never take place. What will unravel as the night lingers on?

Come out tomorrow night - Saturday, 3 May at 6:00pm to the Heritage Community Church to find out. Tickets are only $7. (And though I haven't seen the show, I KNOW it will DEFINITLEY be entertaining, just from looking the casting list. You won't regret it, and you'll be supporting missions! You KNOW you want to!!)

Tickets ARE available at the door, but please call my cell phone or leave me a comment ahead of time, if you plan to attend, so that we have enough dessert for everyone. Hope to see you all there!!

Random Happier Thoughts Time!

Today is a very special Holiday (Didn't you get the memo?). It's National Baby's Day / Dr Benjamin Spock's Birthday / Brother/Sister Appreciate Day / Sibling Appreciation Day / Take a Baby to Lunch Day! SO - with that said, if you have a baby brother or sister, you should take them to lunch, tell hem how much you appreciate them, and sing Happy Birthday to the late, great Dr. Spock! It could look something like this:

So - in the spirit of all the babies and such... that brings me to my Hero For the Day (imagine a caped figure standing in super-hero-pose in front of a waving american flag with Monica Bedell's face poorly photoshopped onto the head).

Monica Bedell is my hero for the day!

Not ONLY does she keep me sane at work, and make me look good for my boss by giving me technical advice, BUT she's also walking the "Walk for Babies" tomorrow. Previously known as the "March of Dimes", Monica will be walking to raise money for young children and premature babies. She'd not reached her goal yet, though, and with these little guys, every little bit helps! So if you can, go on over to Monica's Personal Support Page and help a sister out... it could be YOUR sister you're saving! I'm not always going to keep pumping the money-giving, but this is obviously a necessary fundraiser. So at LEAST comment or e-mail her with some words of encouragement for her big day tomorrow! GO MONICA!!!!

And now On To Food - becuase I'm hungry. :-) I have to figure out what I'm going to eat for lunch, still, but here's my idea for a new recipe (and if you already have something like this... humor me. I feel special!). I bought those wraps you use to make eggrolls in a refrigerated pack. I plan to mix together some rice, cheese, ground turkey (because it's more heart healthy than ground beef - right Mom?!) and a few other things, (like green peppers, and other healthy stuff like that) and wrap them in the rolls. Cooking them in vegetable oil and blending all the flavors (as well as cooking the roll). Then WAH-LAH! A simple yummy-sounding meal. And word on how to make it even tastier? Or any other yummy newer food ideas?

**FLASH NEWS BULLETIN!!! For those of you who do not already know, I cannot eat broccoli. So please lease all broccoli including recipes out. Much appreciated! :-)***

Alrighty then - I have SO Much I could babble on about today (mainly becuase it's Friday and I'm more bored than usual at work, PLUS with my mind on the weekend, there's no END to my ADHD!), but I figured that today's blog was long and full enough. So... without further ado... I give you - The End. :-)

Until next time my friends - Word to your Siblings!

Austin's Antics

Holocaust Rememberance Day.

FYI - That's today. According to the site here at work, anyway. I think I spoke enough about love and the need for it yesterday, but just to recap what I didn't really spell out - love others. Unconditionally. Unselfishly. Uninhibited...ly (?). Love like Nike... Just do it! :-P Take another ready, here, in Ephesians Ch.5, Vs.1-4. (And yes, lately I've been a fan of "The Message" paraphrased version, if you haven't already figured that out.)

Random happier thoughts time!!

I tried last night to load a video of just how funny my dog can be. Since my internet is slow, it wouldn't work, BUT... I will definitely be trying again in the near future. He's got this thing he does. I give him a bone... and he decides to play "squirrel" and hide it for later (later usually meaning about 30 seconds after he walks away from the hiding spot, and decides it's not good enough). I have NO idea where he got this from, and NO idea why he started, but it's hilarious and I FINALLY got it on video! Several times, in fact, with the same bone. He FINALLY found a good spot on his bed, and continued to push this blanket on top of it and push it down (you've really got to see it to know what I'm talking about). He left it for the afternoon, and didn't go back for it until I got home that night. Good times... good times. Pets are totally amusing - if you don't have one, get one (unless you're really irresponsible, or can't stand the thought of cleaning up after them... then it's probably not a good idea. And on that note, you probably should never have children, either - they require similar work. Okay... side note over. My bad!).

While I'm on the topic of pets, I'd like to go back a few weeks and share an old story of just how funny... and ridiculously curious my dog can be. Brace yourselves, and if you know me - try to picture me telling the story in person. It's WAY better that way. (Man if only I could've gotten this on Camera - I could've been on the Ellen DeGeneres Show or something!)

Here it is - For Your Reading Pleasure (from an e-mail I sent out on 11 April):

"So last night I got home around 9:30 from working out and shopping for decorations for a baby shower I'm throwing. Austin was a bit hyper, and just to make things a little easier for myself, I left his leash on him when we came inside from his last potty break, so that I could catch him and correct him if he were to misbehave.

The night's winding down. I'm e-mailing with Kyle while he's at work and watching some TV. Then, I hear Austin getting in to something in the kitchen, so I quietly go to investigate. Tip-toeing through the room (so as to surprise him). Just as I turn the corner, he hops off his window seat and runs out. So I step on his leash, tell him no, and to "get out" of the kitchen. And he does. (He's a good listener, most of the time.)

About 15 minutes later (IF that) I hear him again. I still walk quietly, but a bit quicker this time, and... again... I turn the corner just in time to see him jumping off the seat. So... again... I step on the leash, tell him "no", and to "go lay down" on his bed. He listens again and does what I say. (This is where I think 'Man, I'm am good. This leash idea is awesome'. Yeah, okay... we'll see about that.)

He lays there, on his bed. It's just about the time that I want to go to bed... Eli Stone is ending, the e-mails have long since ended, and I'm Sleepy! At some point, apparently, he had gotten up again, without my noticing, and gone back into the kitchen, becuase I hear him in there AGAIN. This time... I fling the blanket back JUST in time to hear something fall and "THUD" hit the ground... I take off, running this time, into the kitchen, BUT before I even reach to corner, out runs Austin! I go to step on his leash, but I can't - He's RUNNING as FAST as he possibly can...

ears down...

butt tucked...

and LEASH IN MOUTH!!!!!

I have NEVER had such a hard time controlling laughter in my life. It was literally the funniest thing I have ever seen him do. Apparently my dog is a combination of both some kind of smart and some kind of stupid. He was dumb enough to get up on the counter and knock a bag of Dark Chocolate M&Ms off and onto the floor (which he had gotten from our candy basket), but he was Smart enough to pick up his leash as he ran past me, knowing that I was going to step on it. Can't you just picture him now, as soon as those M&Ms hit the ground thinking 'OH NO!!! This lady's gonna KILL me! SAVE YOURSELF!!!'

Wow... I'm a FIRM believer in the fact that dogs are THE greatest form of entertainment (while also being on of the greatest forms of frustration). Just had to share."


Well there you have it. And just so you can REALLY have the full "visual" experience, here are some pictures of Me and my little Toot:

And just for fun, here are a few "Mugshots" of him from another one of his curiosity episodes... he jumped into the laundry pile, and came out wearing my tank top:

Ignorance is.... STUPID!

You know that old saying ignorance is bliss? Well, I only agree when referring to "initial" ignorance. (Huh?!) I mean... when you initially find out that you know NOTHING about something... understandable. It is! But unless you are a child (when it's obviously okay to continue on about your business without a care in the world), then take it upon yourself to grow!

(Okay - this doesn't make sense... but in all fairness, I warned you about the confusion and lack of direction in my brain!)

But I think that a trap we easily fall into is comfort or complacency. Sometimes we say things like "I'd rather not know" or "I'm better off not knowing!" But are we really? Or is it an excuse to not feel guilty about something? Obviously, I'm not talking about joking around with friends, or something like that, but think about it...

As Christians, we get caught up in this cookie-cutter-idea of a world that because God loves us, he wants us to be happy and enjoy life and things will be easy and issues will be resolved by God and just resolve themselves. But that's SO missing the point!!! God gave you a BRAIN and the ability to fill it with knowledge and sound judgement. He also gave you a command to love your neighbor, not to avoid them until a problem goes away. When the bible talks about relationships we like to think about how people are supposed to treat us, but we TOTALLY miss or ignore the whole point that it's telling US how to treat OTHERS and NOT the other way around! God tells us to love other no matter WHAT they say or do to us, no matter how they treat us, no matter WHAT they say about us or our friends... we are to love them as HE loves us!!!

And how does he love us? Unconditionally. We screw up... he loves us. We screw up again? He loves us. The same thing over and over? He loves us and forgives us for it - and here's the kicker: He doesn't hold it against us!! So how can we EVER justify a decision where we do just that to another person? Whether they are a Christian or not doesn't matter. God didn't tell us to love the church... he tells us to LOVE. Period. Not conditions. No questions. No circumstances. He just tells us to love.

So what are we doing about it? Lord knows I'm failing MISERABLY! But we have GOT to wake up and start trying harder. It will take work, but it can happen. Just don't forget to love. If we do all these nice things, and help people, but we don't have love, we might as well have just thrown around a bunch of metal trash cans and called it a day, because it's just useless noise and empty motions. Do some homework. Read through 1 Corinthians Ch. 13 in The Message translation, and tell me what you think - what do we need to change, what are we doing wrong?


ALRIGHT!!
Enough seriousness for one day. Now on to the fun stuff!

A BIG shout-out to my Big sister... She's reached AND surpassed her goal of a 10% weight loss!! WOOP WOOP!!

And also - it's almost Mother's Day!! What are we planning? Not a clue... still working on it, actually. BUT I do know it will involve a lunch with Mom at the restaurant of her choosing, and that won't be decided until she says "I don't know! Why don't you guys just pick something!" and we all mull around until someone says "Olive Garden. It's done. Let's go - I'm STARVING!" So... after all that, we'll probably be at Olive Garden eating lunch on Mother's day, and I'm sure there will be SOME gifts involved! *tee hee hee* (insert additional innocent childish laughter here). More on Mother's Day plans to follow.

And on that note ... a BIG Shout-out to the almost-mothers out there!! Brittany is expecting her first little on and will actually find out if it'll be a girl or boy JUST before her first Mother's Day (isn't that cute?!), AND Kelly already knows she's having a girl, but it's still her first Mother's Day as well. And Finally, Terri is going to actually be able to HOLD her wonderful baby boy, Bennet, on her first Mother's Day! CONGRATULATIONS, LADIES!!!!!

Peace out! :-P

For BLOGGING OUT LOUD!!

So I'm new to this whole blogging thing, but from what I understand, it's just like putting thoughts to paper, or like a public diary of sorts... something like that, right? So welcome to my mind - I apoligize for the lack of signs and direction, but please do be careful - it gets pretty crazy in here at times!

We start with this - I began, this weekend, to sort of put things into prexpective for myself. I've decided that I'm not happy with everything as it is, and that I need to make some changes for myself. So here's what I've come up with, thus far (brace yourselves, it's a somewhat lengthy list):
#1 - I need to be better at housekeeping (don't we all?!). I am behind on laundry, organization, dusting (what's that?) etc. My main problem si a lack of storage space. I can't keep laundry in with the washer/dryer becuase it's just a little closet thingy. And the spare bedroom has walls lined with thing (in a somewhat organized fashion) that I just do not have room for, at the time. Our closets are full and we have a huge need for more storage space... so I supposed I've slacked off and made excuses for why it's no done. But not any more!! It'll be a slow process, but it will happen! I finally cleaned up the kitchen last night. It wasn't bad, but wasn't good, either. The only thing left to do is put the organized mail in it's appropriate place. :-D One Gold star for Sarah!

#2 - I need to be better at MAKING time for devitions and personal time with God. I'm REALLY REALLY bad in this area. Yes I pray... all the time... but that's not enough. And at that, just reading verses isn't enough either. It's called STUDYING for a reason. I really need to push myself here. I've been challenged a LOT lately, thanks to a GREAT church and GREAT teachers, but receiving the challenge is nothing - it's acting on it that's important. So off I go into the wild blue yonder... (what... I'm an Air Force wife - I couldn't help myself!). I've tried adding variety to my time. It's not jsut about putting your nose in a book and coming out having memorized a new verse. It's about growing in and loving a God that never fails us, and I OWE it to him (and myself, really) to put more of myself into researching what I'm reading AND worshipping him on my own (not just in church when it's easy). So that's the next goal. :-)

#3 - I have GOT to be better about money. The good news, though? I (we) have already started with this one! We've got a budget, debt reduction plan, AND it's coming alogn nicely! According to the math, we'll be debt free in less than 2 years (minus the new car we're going to be buying this summer). But after that, we're done for at least two years!! Awesome, right? I'm excited!!

AND FINALLY... (drumroll please)

#4 - I have GOT to get OFF my rear and get to stepping!! The dog needs more exercise, and Lord knows I do too! We're BOTH better off when we've had a good walk/run. Plus, he doesn't drive me batty when we get home, either! We are both happier when we get some good exercise (even if it DOES include a certain risque' type of dance class - I'm married... nothing wrong with that, right?!)

Anywho - that's the plan. Call it my New Spring Resolution 2008 (since I WAS passed the whole New Year thing). Feel free to "Puhl" my card (ha ha... again, couldn't help myself. I'm a dork, what can I say!) and check in on me to see how I'm progressing... any thoughts to add?