Wacky Wednesday!

7:00 AM: KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! A strange old man hand delivers my car tags. States that they were in his mailbox two weeks ago and that he had come by every day since at different times trying to catch me. I was never home, go figure.

8:00 AM: Drive to work through clouds. No really, there were clouds--everywhere!

8:30 AM: Thank Jesus for the breathtaking sight as I top a hill with valleys on both sides with the end of the clouds also in view, floating over the valleys like a canopy of cotton.

9:15 AM: Nonverbal client throws glasses in floor in an attempt to tell me he's mad that I asked him to sit back down so he wouldn't fall.

10:20 AM: Very verbal client tells me that the reason he had to come to the nursing home was this: he'd heard that I worked there and that the torture of speech therapy was actually "quite pleasurable torture".

11:00 AM: Client with developmental disability beats me at Scrabble even though I played the longest word: "blouse".

12:30 PM: Coworker comes into breakroom and threatens to stab me with fork if I eat his food. Then tells me I am allowed one spoonful of his potatoes if I replace it with cheese from my macaroni.

1:55 PM: Client tells me that he hates to break it to me, but there's no way I'll get him to function like he did when he was 30. Then, he proceeds to be the first client I've had at this facility who thanks me for all my hard work and dedication to his well-being.

4:30 PM: Nursing home resident at another place stops me in the hall and tells me I'm a sweetheart and need to be the speech therapist seeing her neice. Said resident was a client of mine when I was a student and refused therapy 3 times in a row.

5:00 PM: Long term client who I have grown very fond of gets swallow study results back--YAY! Diet upgrade to more "real" food/drinks! WOOHOO!

6:30 PM: Run around like a blindfolded turkey on Thanksgiving  morning in preparation for the evening's Awana meeting while trying to read over my lines for the message time lesson.

6:45 PM: Try to compose myself as the Sparks director walks in disguised as "Professor Spark"--complete with lab coat and spiky hair.

9:00 PM: Drive home with a smile on my face and a heart full of love for the darling little Sparkies I have been blessed to get to know.

Lazy Day

My little canine is passed out on the couch looking oh-so-cute, and I took a 4 hour nap today myself.

It's my day of rest. I think I'm entitled to one every now and then.

I went yard-saling with Heather and Josh this morning. I actually stayed at their house so we could leave bright and early. Oh, and so Stella could spend some time with her love, Mr. Darcy. There's nothing like going from house-to-house looking at other people's junk. We did find some good deals today (mostly books). The last one we went to was a gold mine of great stuff, but sadly everything had "sold" stickers attached. We were too late to get the goodies.

There is a lot going on right now. I feel overloaded emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Good and bad all mixed together. I have this very strange feeling that I can only describe as a desire to duck in a hole and hide out for a while. I think it's the lazy side of me wanting to just let everything work itself out., or maybe it's the ostrich in me who feels too inadequate to stand up to the scary stuff, so I wanna stick my head in a hole and hope nothing finds me.

But I am not called to sit on the sidelines with my mouth shut and my eyes closed. I am called to take a stand for what is right, holy, and just. I am called to go to work every day and be the hands of God in the lives of the precious people there. I am called not to depend on the insecurity of a small, dark hiding place but to lean on the strength of Jesus Christ, who came, lived, died, and conquered the grave.

So, today I rest, trusting in Jesus to work everything out. Trusting in Jesus for the wisdom and grace to stand tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that...

Sigh

* i have graduated.
* i am now officially a speech-language pathologist (a.k.a. speech therapist)
* no, i haven't received my nifty name badge yet.
* stella is still very much alive and well. and she's got a cool bandana.
* i am not perfect. go figure.
* yes, of course i am writing in all lower case letters. why? just so you'd ask that question.
* as a matter of fact, i am sleep-deprived.
* how'd you guess?
* i have the cutest nephew ever.
* graduation gowns really are as hot as they look. it's the closest i've ever been to a sauna.
* chic-fil-a is only open til 10:00 on friday nights. even on graduation friday nights.
* if you wanna throw a surprise party, i'm the easiest target. completely unaware of my friends' plans. i even invited them all to my own party...without knowing it was my party. i've got some pretty clever friends. or maybe i'm just that clueless.
* overnight, my body decided it wanted to have a cold. *sneeze* see, it's official. i'm getting sick.
* i work an hour from my home and i drive through three counties every. single. day.
* gas is expensive (read previous statement).
* aww man, i ran out of black ink and i haven't printed my swallowing evals!
* paperwork is going to destroy me.
* walmart sells everything in every color.
* now my sentences are too random for even me to handle. i think i'm gonna say goodnight.

GOODNIGHT! (What? Caps-Lock missed me.)

Sales Representatives. *shakes head shamefully*

Me: "Hi, I just received an email saying I was going to be getting a monthly charge for a credit-tracking service I accidently signed up for while accessing my credit score. The email said I should call you if I didn't want to continue the trial. Can you help me?"
Woman with a foreign accent (henceforth called WWAFA): "Yes ma'am. I understand. One moment please."
...5 minutes later...
WWAFA: "I need your personal information in order to access your account."
(I give it to her.)
WWAFA: "Ahh, I see. Ma'am, did you know you did not see your credit report?"
Me: "No, I didn't know that because I'm pretty sure I did."
WWAFA: "No, Ma'am. Our logs indicate that you only visited the main home screen, thus only seeing a sample credit report and score."
Me: "Then why was my personal information on it? And why did it match up with everything I read on my free annual report? I'm confused..."
WWAFA: "Ma'am, are you signed into your account? Sign into your account and I will walk you through how to view your real report."
Me: "Okay...I'm here."
WWAFA: "Now, with our free monthly membership service you get exclusive benefits..."
Me: "Yes, I realize that, but I only access my information frequent enough for the membership to be beneficial to me...hey, that's not an example! I really did see my credit score!"
WWAFA: "Ma'am, are you on the main home screen?"
Me: "Yes."
WWAFA: "Well, do you see the 'View my Reports' button at the top? Please click on that."
Me: "Okay...yup, this is the same as what's on my home screen. I have seen all of this."
WWAFA: "Ma'am, you must click and view all of the pages of your report. See, we provide a detailed account of your credit profile and we offer..."
Me: (interrupting) "Ma'am, I understand what your membership offers. I read about it before calling you and realized I had made a mistake and signed up for something way bigger than I needed. I just wanted to see my credit score. I don't want to pay for some fancy doo-dad to track my every transaction when it's already being done for free."
WWAFA: "Just let me walk you through this. Hey--I'll give you the membership for 50% off. How about that?"
Me: "No. Will you please just cancel this membership? Please?"
WWAFA: "Of course, ma'am. I understand. Your membership has been cancelled. You still have access to your profile until the trial expires and if at any point between now and then you should change your mind, give me a call."
Me: "Thank you. Goodbye."

I just wasted 25 minutes of my life.

And now I shall share!

Incite Rehabilitation Services. That's who I'm going to work for after graduation.
It's the same company I've been interning with all summer.
And I'm more than excited about starting!

So, random news/thoughts from my head for today:
1. My mamaw won temporary custody of my nephew yesterday. Long story, but one I've been expecting since my sister's pregnancy. God has that sweet little boy in His master plan; I just know it!
2. Kumquat. It's a fruit, you know. Kinda like an orange. At least, that's what my friend said. A client, my supervisor, and I had an entire conversation about this strange thing--only to agree that we had all heard of it before but none of us had the slightest idea what it was.
3. I graduate in one week, two days!
4. I have five clocks in this house and they all have different times on them. They were synchronized at one point in time. Can't they all just get along?!
5. Nemo man had a heart attack trying to save the world from the Yogurt monster, so Oscar Wilde jumped in and saved the day. Moral of the story: Never underestimate the abilities of famous authors. Only Chuck Norris can overcome Oscar Wilde.
6. If you are clueless as to the meaning (or importance) of #5, then you should have been at CYC with us last night.

Is that tears or sweat bringing water to my eyes?

The cause still remains unknown.

I spent a few hours out at Central Arkansas Youth Camp today. Brushed a girl's eyebrows with a fork and tried to make a guy laugh by attempting to sell him rocks to stick up his nose to protect him from the mosquitoes. I even made a girl sniff a stick and tickled another with a leaf.

That's just how I do things when I'm a Bounty Hunter playing the game "Underground Railroad."

My job was to make folks laugh, so my random side went nuts. I practiced my terrible accent collection--from Cogney-English, to Irish, Spanish, and even some Middle-Eastern sounds thrown in there. It was fun, but sadly, even my best stuff only brought smiles to those faces. They were a tought crowd to break!

The place was teaming with sweaty, smelly kids--and adults--but no one seemed to mind. I fit right in. That's why I still don't know if my eyes were blurry because of sweat or tears. You see, though the music didn't move me [Amazing Grace has a lot more meaning to me than these fancy contemporary Christian songs], the message did. It always does. So I know there were some tears thrown in there with the salty concoction oozing from my pores. My tear ducts hated to be left out.

"A Different Kind of Love." That's this year's theme. That was tonight's message. I pray that it sinks in, grasps those troubled hearts, wraps around their very souls, and never lets them go. I pray it transforms them, changes their lives, breaks the bondage of the past, and opens doors to the future for these children and teens who've never known the unconditional love of Christ.

What a blessing it was. I will be there tomorrow night. And the next. Oh, and the next after that, too!

After all my adventures...

...I have no photos to show for it!

I took my camera, but didn't get any snapshots. I'm sorry!

The past week has been extremely fun--and energy-zapping--all wrapped in one package. Swimming, board games, quality time, laughter, pranks, good food, bonding, reunions, watching videos, being in charge (of classes), planning surprises, trips alone to nowhere for no purpose, daydreaming, book-reading, job interviews, clothes shopping, grocery shopping, free stuff...the list goes on.

One really neat thing that's happened recently is: I haven't bitten my fingernails in two weeks! (My grandma would be proud of me as long as I didn't tell her how I've managed to keep away from my old habit). I've discovered that painting my nails in a COLOR keeps me from biting them. I used to paint them clear, but I'd bite off the polish out of habit. When you bite off colored polish, it leaves the nail looking very ugly. It kind of serves as a visual to me which has proven constant and effective.

I cannot tell you how excited I am about this!

The View from my Front Porch

It just doesn't do justice to the beauty of tonight's sunset. I really need a better view camera.

106. I just love sunsets.

I'd love sunrises, too, if I was awake and outdoors in time to see them. I'm always available for a sunset. :) And it's not just the sky that is so amazing. Something about the lighting at this time of day makes the green of plantlife so vibrant that it pops right out as if to say, "Look at me!" I have noticed that this same thing happens right before a daytime storm. I'm getting chills just thinking about it. Only God could do something so wonderful!

107.  Praising God for a career where I don't feel pressured to suppress my faith.

I was talking with a client today about how intricate and resourceful the brain is--and how unexplainable it is, even after lifetimes of study. I can never talk about nature or anatomy without talking about God, and so the conversation led into how it is impossible to look at the brain alone and not know that God truly does exist, that He is powerful and omniscient. It is too complex to have just developed without the hands of a mastermind...THE Mastermind. I didn't even know if this woman was a Christian, so I probably shouldn't have said all I said (if I wanted to be politically correct) but my higher calling and love is to share Jesus with the world, so I did anyway. She was a Christian and it blessed her soul to hear that testimony.

108. I'm so grateful God chooses to use me, even in the little things!

Someone told me tonight at church that they think I'm sweet and helpful. Well, it's not me who is sweet, but Jesus Christ in me who is working that in my heart. I've got a long way to go before I could ever consider myself "sweet." But it is very nice to know that God used me to bless her.

109. Glad for another job interview set up for next Friday.

And this one is close to home! My advisors say it's difficult to find jobs around here, and they also tell me it is best to have one lined up for graduation. Well, graduation is less than 2 months away, and I don't have one yet. Regardless, I am not going to worry about it. God has been my provider in EVERY situation and somehow I just know He's going to work it out perfectly in His timing! 

110. Comfort in sorrow and strength to overcome.

June is always a difficult month for me as I think back on where I've come from. Four years ago tomorrow marks the day I got married, and three years ago this month also marks the day my husband walked out of my life. I'm so very grateful that God never left me, even when I thought I did not want Him any longer. I'm glad He didn't give up on me! And now I am grateful that He gives me peace over the situation and a hope for a future. He has a purpose and a calling for my life! I pray I never forget what He has brought me through and what He has done for me in those difficult times.

A Summer's Journey

Here I sit on my sofa, enjoying the warmth Stella's underbelly gives off towards my very-cold toes. Yes, the day's temperature was in the upper 90s, but try telling my foot's appendages that. They don't care.

Thankfully, my dog does.

The majority of my family, from Ohio to Arkansas, are getting ready to launch off on an adventure to the beach together. They will enjoy a week of fun in sun and fellowship with one another--so much catching up to be done! I, however, will remain where I am, anchored to this town Monday through Friday for the remainder of the summer by a massive magnetic power I tend to call "THERAPY."

I've never been to the beach.

My "adopted" family here are planning a 2-week trip to South Dakota later this month. AHH! What will I do without them?! Again, I find myself glued to this spot, unmoving, due to this unrelenting force--"THERAPY."

I've never been to Mount Rushmore.

Then again, I wasn't invited on that trip. (chuckling quietly to self) I just thought it would add to the dramatic emotion of the scene.

Regardless of all the fun and memories I won't experience this summer, there are so many more to be made. I am loving my career choice more and more with every passing day--and every sweet smile. I am carried away with compassion for these precious elderly individuals, with stories to be told and lives to be shared.

I may miss out on some exciting trips, but God has given me a journey this summer that I will not regret taking. He has been leading me and teaching me. This speech therapist is speechless when I consider His hand in my life.

Thankful for:
101. A last-minute bible study in my small, perpetually dark living room
102. An opportunity to catch up with classmates over hamburger helper
103. Provision of clinical hours and a peace about meeting the quota for graduation
104. A reminder of God's steadfast, unchanging nature in a world of instability and time of shifting loyalties
105. A make-shift blanket of soft black and white fur with two beautiful eyes...oh! that's my dog! Well, I'm thankful for her, too.

Two for One

Thanks
There is so much to be thankful for. I'm glad I know the one true God, the Creator of the universe who breaths life into the lifeless. The God of David, who is still (and always will be) worthy to be praised.

Today I thank Him for:
86. A well-made, hole-free canoe and a good, strong paddle.
87. A bright sun and light breeze.
88. Cold water to refresh tired muscles.
89. Waterproof cameras.
90. A fallen tree that served as a bouncy "ride" for the young at heart.
91. Incredible wildlife, rock formations, and landscape scenery declaring the glory of God.
92. A safe trip in good fellowship.
93. A group of people who care about each other and stick together.
94. Laughter, hugs, water-splashes, and all that goes along with having a good time with friends
95. This breath. And this one. And this one, too...

Canoeing
So many memories were made yesterday! There is nothing like bonding over fresh river water and cold lunches. Okay, so only one person drank the river water, and it wasn't me, but still. Fourteen of us traveled down to the Buffalo for a day of canoeing. We floated somewhere between 9 and 11 miles (I've heard both numbers and am not sure which. It felt more like 3 or 4, but I'll go along with the experts). I learned the art of canoeing. I mean I'm STILL learning the art of canoeing. This was only my second trip. No one flipped their canoe (that I'm aware of). It really was something else. We saw lots of turtles, cranes, herons, hawks, a falcon, and even a bald eagle. Now that is a majestic bird. No wonder the Bald Eagle was chosen as our national bird, our symbol. Just beautiful! I am sunburnt in many places and just a little bit sore in my mid-back...but ready to go back!

That's what she said.

Me: (leaving Starbucks with Heather) "I guess we are going to this fleamarket over here because I am unconsciously driving that direction."

Heather: "Don't you mean subcionsciously?"

Me: "Umm, yeah...unconcious/subconscious...same thing..."

M-O-N-D-A-Y

Church.

I missed most all of Pastor John's message Sunday morning as I was one of the nursery workers and we had a full house. We had the monitor on so we could watch the service, but with so many sweet babies bouncing around, it was difficult to focus on anything else. I hear it was a wonderful message.

Our Sunday School class studied through two verses (and started a third!). We're nearing the end of Galations now. What a blessing this study has been! Sadly, Ephesians and Galations are two books that seem to be--overlooked--quite often by the faith I grew up around. If everyone could just BEGIN to grasp the beauty of the gospel and Paul's firm stance against infiltration of our own works, what a difference it could make.

What a difference it HAS made in me.

"Doing enough" is something I have always tried to accomplish, but satisfaction has never come. It can't come because I never will be able to "do enough" to earn anything from God. God has torn down some of the enemy's strongholds in my life over the course of this study--lies that crippled my faith.

Freedom.

That is what I feel in my spirit. God has freed me! He's still working through some things, but oh have my eyes been opened! Sometimes I want to just burst out with gratefulness to my peers in class, to share with them what God is doing in me and how He is using them to do so. Sometimes I want to just hug someone neck and tell them thanks for bringing out a point I'd never thought of before, to tell them that pondering it throughout the week had brought me closer to my Father, and I loved them all the more for it.

But I just don't.

I push it off on shyness, but is that it? Now here I go off on a tangent.

Family.

My brother's married. I'll have a new neice or nephew in the Fall. My mom's married. I have only talked to her once...maybe twice unless that one was a dream...since the big news. She seems...sweet, so very sweet. I don't think I've ever seen that side of my mom, but I love it! Once of my sister's is engaged to the father of her two daughters. She is so excited about planning a wedding and texts me pictures of colors all the time. It's kind of fun to see her giddy with joy! Oh, any my grandparents, well they are doing just dandy I think. Any little news I get from them is usually hand squeezed out of Mamaw. She's one of those folks that says everything's fine, but once you talk long enough and ask enough questions, you find out a tornado came through and killed all your friends, your dog died, your Aunt had a baby, and two of your high school teachers won Pulitzer's prizes for some thing or another. I may be exaggerating...a little bit...but just a little. Mamaw always brightens my day and I love talking with her, even if it is just to say, "Hi!" She says Papaw's got a colonoscopy scheduled for tomorrow. My birthday. I wonder if there's any way I could make it to Little Rock to see them before therapy. Mamaw says it wouldn't be possible. They wouldn't be free until after 4--when my days really gets started. :(

Bringing this long section to a close, I want to ask anyone who reads this to pray for one of my sisters. They all need prayer--exceuse me, WE all need prayer--but one of my sisters has left and no one is really sure where she is or what she's doing. Last I'd heard, she'd left her son behind and gone back to a guy she been with before who beat her, abused her, and stalked her--a guy I'd rather not see again. I love this sister so very VERY dearly and I just want her to stay safe. And find Jesus. Only He can fill that void she is trying so desparately to fill.

School.

Two weeks left of therapy at the college clinic. After final reports are completed (due Wednesday), things will start winding down. I'm excited about my placement in a nursing home in the summer, just one more little reminder that I only have 3 months and 22 days left until graduation.

Down Time.

I don't have much of that, or I shouldn't have with all I've got going on in order to prepare the end of the semester, but I am trying to take time out to read the newest Mysterious Benedict Society: The Prisoner's Dilemma. I've really liked this series so far, though I am a little iffy about some of the stuff in this newest book. Yeah, I know they are kids' books, but hey, I don't wanna grow up!

I've also spent some time "organizing". Here's SOME of my therapy materials (not as organized yet as I would like):

And here is my "Prayer door." I put either pictures or reminders up to represent people or situations that I pray for each day.

Thankfulness.

56. Another year.

57. Every one of those people represented in the photo above. 

58. Getting a virus on my little pink netbook. This may seem strange blessing, but a classmate's laptop cable stopped working this weekend, so I was able to bless her with the one for my useless computer until the one she ordered comes in.

59. Passionate Perspectives speakers and the practical and applicable information they share about how to bring the gospel to those who have yet to know Jesus.

60. A saying that crossed my path this week, reminding me of a dear friend: "A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and will sing it back to you when you forget the words."

61. Psalm 37, and specifically the beautiful plaque with verse 4 written on it a precious "sister" gave to me for my birthday in rememberance of this Psalm.

62. Health

63. No doctor's bills yet!

64. The news of a friend's pregnancy. What a blessing she and her husband have received!

65. Friends who pray. Friends who love. Friends.

Another Monday

Random Blessings. Because I like it that way.

46. An ecstatic congratulations from my department's academic advisor for making one of the highest scores on the PRAXIS at our school. Wow, I thought it wasn't a great score, but I must have been wrong. Only with God was that even possible!
47. Holding my dog safely in my arms after she gave me a scare--breaking out the door and running all over the neighborhood--from our home that is within sight of a VERY busy four-lane highway where animals lose their lives every day. I chased her, barefoot, almost in tears, for nearly 15 minutes and over a mile of zig-zagging and running. My feet are raw and I am cross with her, but in that moment I realized I love this dog so very much and it would kill me to lose her. I can't believe she did that! She's never run like that before! Perhaps being in heat had something to do with it. She also seemed to think it was a game. I could just see someone coming around a corner in the dark and hitting her--right in front of my eyes.
48. Finding a pocket folder this afternoon full of paintings, sketches, and collages my sister Rebecca and brother Christopher made for me over the years. It blessed my soul to look back at those and think of those kids, so sweet, innocent, and full of life when they created these little masterpieces. God can restore that sweetness in them--I have hope! And, regardless, I love them as much today as I did when they gave them to me.
49. Hearing a client (an adult client) say, "I don't want you to leave at the end of the semester. I will miss you" and enjoying a sweet conversation with her.
50. Finding out that my summer placement is...*drumroll please*... ... ... ... ... a nursing home! I wasn't too thrilled when I first read the name of the place because it is one of the bad ones in town, but then I got to thinking: I will come in contact with SO MANY people at this place, and in their situation, they need some sunshine. Well, God's giving me an opportunity here to be that sunshine for these folks. I can let Christ shine in me--Sonshine--and spread His joy, peace, and love to them. I've volunteered in nursing homes a lot in my lifetime, and I've done some SLP observations at these facilities. One thing I come away with every time is a heaviness and depression from the pain these guys go through--when their families ignore them, when they don't HAVE family, when they feel helpless and completely dependent on others, when they just can't really live like they used to. So many have lost the will to live. Can God use me to bring purpose back to their lives? Please pray with me on this one. It's a blessing and a prayer all rolled into one!
51. The Wycliffe bible translation ministry and the speaker from it who came Sunday night. I want to be a part of this ministry. Missions has been on my heart since I was a kid (ask my grandma if you don't believe me. She knows!) and bible translation/other languages have intrigued me and been something I've always wanted to do but didn't feel smart enough to attempt to do. Today, I was looking through some old notes I wrote as a teenager for a youth class. The notes were my "aspirations for the future." You know what I said I wanted to be doing in 10 years? "Teaching English or history, learning foreign languages, and translating the bible for languages without a bible of their own." That's what Wycliffe does! (well, minus the English and History part!). Who knew I'd be an SLP instead--a career choice with linguistics skills that could prove useful to learning a language? God has amazing ways of getting us where He wants us, doesn't He?! We'll see where this path goes...
52. A nice, new, ginormous air conditioner. Thank you, landlord, for installing it before the heat hit! I've been pampered.
53. The confirmation I feel about the decision to keep renting this house, even if I did do travel therapy. Also for this feeling that I won't travel but instead find a very good job around here. I don't know why that makes me feel kind of excited, but it does. I also don't know why the idea has crept into my mind. God can see around the corner. Maybe He's just hinting to me that He's got a plan bigger than I can see.
54. Thankful for God's prodding me in love through His word. He daily shows me a limb in my heart and/or life that needs trimmed back, pruned to keep from blocking His glory from shining through. I am grateful for His chastening, even for the times when it hurts so bad I can't breathe for the tears and disgust at my own sin. It is those times when God has been able to speak to me the clearest. Humbled, broken, and knowing He loves me enough to show me where I fall short rather than leave me to my own to fall into satan's snare.
55. A new day. A morning to open my eyes and say, "Thank you, Lord, for waking me up! Thank you for another day!"

Spring

new, green leaves

ecstatic, singing birds

strong, chilly breeze

faint, sweet blossoms

fresh, cool water

my favorite season.

I decided to try my hand at writing a sensory poem. Not too shabby for a simple reminder of all that is sensed during this beautiful season.

On a less creative note, I just discovered this thing on my dashboard called "Stats." I can actually see how many times people view my profile, what country they are from, and what method they used (e.g., google search). It was kind of strange to read about all the countries that have seen my blog. I started this just for my Mamaw and Aunt, and I only have a handful of friends who even know it exists. With only eight followers, one being myself (not sure how that happened), somehow, I have almost 1,000 views. That's kind of neat.

Or creepy. Whichever way you want to look at it.

Miscelaneous

I'm sure I didn't spell that right, but neither can most of the American population.

That makes me feel  better.

Microsoft Word has spoiled my spelling skills, and unfortunately blogger lacks the spell checker I've grown so accustomed to.

Friends make good spouses.

A recent study found that people who show themselves friendly are more likely to have lasting marital relationships. Hmm. How many scientists, labs, and subjects did it take to figure that one out? :) I came across the article while browsing my email. You can read it HERE.

A decade is plenty of time to forget.

It is easy to forget someone, especially if the person you forgot was someone you've never met in person. Seeing a face usually does the trick of embedding them in your memory for life. A guy popped up on my yahoo messenger today whose username looks familiar, but I am clueless as to who it might be or how I met him. I'm thinking it was from that year, between my 12th and 13th birthdays, when I chatted with random strangers in chat rooms. I wisened up pretty quick to creepiness out there. Regardless, I'm very curious as to who this person is.

I finally discovered the origin of the Groucho Marx mask.

I found out who Groucho Marx was! I bought a collection of old classics at the store because it had "Arsenic and Old Lace" on it--one that I remember laughing my head off at the ridiculousness of. One of the films included in the collection was "A Night at the Opera," starring the Marx brothers. Right off the bat, I recognized the resemblance of Groucho's face to those toy masks that came in every goody bag I got as a child. 

Organizing books is hard work.

I should've known, having been a library aide for 3 years of high school. I spent nearly 4 hours setting up an organized system for just my kids books. Of course, the system included ordering the books, taking inventory of them, writing my name in each one in case they are lent out to classmates, and organizing them electronically for easy search on my computer. I wonder how long it will take to get through all the rest of my books?

The sun split the clouds.

At least that's what it looked like yesterday morning. I wish I had a better camera than this silly point-and-shoot that has no options. Better yet, I wish I knew how to use one. Sun rays beamed through the clouds via several holes that spread at least half a mile wide. It was utterly amazing to behold. For some reason, my mind automatically thought, "The Lord sees all, hears all, knows all" when I saw this beautiful act of nature. It reminded me of His light peircing the darkness. Thinking of it sends chills of joy down my spine.

I'm thankful to the Lord for:

41. the passion of our instructors in Perspectives class. What a blessing!

42. hearing reports of God answering prayers--healing some, protecting others. What an encouragement!

43. the reminder of His faithfulness in spite of my fickle, wavering emotions. He has stood by me at times in my life when I literally turned my back on Him. I don't ever want to forget!

44. protecting me as I braved a drive in Little Rock during rush hour and for blessing me with a beautiful day with a dear friend. Friends are gifts from God!

45. allowing me an opportunity to go to bible study last Friday night--the first in over six months. Being there, listening to my peers discuss the Living Word, and applying it to our own lives was definitely something I needed. I wish I could be a part of something like that every Friday night.

 

Spring Break

I said I would post later about Spring Break, so here it is...every detail, from the fun and intriguing to the exceedingly mundane:

On Saturday, I went to a Neurological Ranch for school to administer some tests on folks who've had strokes, traumatic brain injuries, or other neuro issues. The grounds of the 400+ acre ranch were breathtakingly beautiful. However, the experience made me realize I don't think I'm cut out to daily work with people who can't inhibit their thoughts.

The Ranch

On Sunday, I enjoyed visiting with some friends from church and basking in the glorious weather on their many patios. We even ate dinner outside--using bar stools as tables! That night, the moon was absolutely stunning in the sky. A kind friend happened to have a camera handy and took a few photos of it as we were both heading to our cars that evening. God's handiwork is magnificent!

While he was snapping these pretty photos (and many more), another friend and I were discussing how we were going to convince her mother to let her spend the day with me without arousing her mother's suspicion. Sneaky us had a plan up our sleeves...

...a plan to aid her father in surprising their mother with a beautiful reception on their 30th wedding anniversary. Their anniversary was the next day--Monday--and not a single plan had been made when this moon's phase was captured shortly before midnight.

With the help of other family members, friends of the family, and a sweet mother and daughter from our church, the reception fell together beautifully just in time for the couple's arrival at the church.

The same kind photographer who caught the moon took these photos. It just seems I don't have a camera on me when I need one most! He even included a video clip from the moments when the lovely bride was "surprised!" However, because I haven't received permission prior to writing this, I have left names out of this story and faces out of the photographs. It was a beautiful, fun night. Worth every second of labor, too! We all went out to the family's home afterward for more fun and fellowship--into the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

Tuesday started with another doctor's appointment to find out if a CT scan was necessary or if I could live without one for now. The meeting lasted only about 10 minutes and it was decided that the strange object in my pelvis showing up on X-Rays doesn't seem to be bothering me right now so I can survive CT Scan-free for the time being. Good news! 

The rest of the day was spent patio-furniture shopping with the family mentioned above (refer to reception story). We spent hours (quite literally) sitting around a table in the Walmart Garden Center chatting while the gentle breeze blew around us. 'Twas nice.

Wednesday wasn't near as eventful. Housework, schoolwork, a quick visit to try out the patio furniture that was chosen, and AWANA with the precious kiddos who were rowdier than usual. I wonder if the break had anything to do with it?

Thursday was not interesting at all. I ran errands all day and read/watched movies all night. I took Stella to have her bush groomed down to a manageable length. This photo was taken on my phone shortly after picking her up Thursday night:

They cut her hair quite badly. Look at the pink patch of completely bare flesh on her chest...whereas there is patches of fur at different lengths all over the rest of her little body.

Friday was grandulous. Is grandulous a word? If not, now it is. Anyway, I spent all morning trying to find someone interested in going to the Museum of Discovery with me (thankfully, the perfect person agreed to go with me this past Tuesday instead). Then I went around town with a very good friend to pick up materials for building a chicken coop at the youth ranch she works at. We bought some chickens before heading back to the ranch. It was so precious to hear those little chirps!
Stella met Glory, my friend's adorable yellow lab pup, and instantly fell in love. They are now best friends. I was too soft-hearted to tell them there will come a time (very soon!) when the can no longer play so rough together due to Glory's rapid growth and many months to go before it peaks.
The rest of the evening was spent getting to know my friend better--and loving every minute of it--as well as discovering that Stella is actually a well-behaved dog and obeys me more than I realized. My only regret from that visit is that it couldn't have been longer, much longer, as I had to get up at 4:30a.m. to head back home. Why?

Because I had to work on Saturday morning, that's why! Regardless of my exhaustion, the day was a good one. I took some of the fellas bowling and realized they bowl a lot better than I do! Well, that's not saying much because I stink at it, but still! I was impressed! It made me itch to go bowling sometime myself. I really need to do that soon. I watched a couple of movies while doing some computer work that night after work.

Sunday was a typical Sunday. I enjoyed meeting with my peers for the Sunday school class, picking back up in Galations chapter 5. You wouldn't believe how long we've been in Galations if I told you. It's a good way to study scripture, though, and I rightly enjoy the pace. We dig much deeper into the Word through this class than any other class I've ever attended. Even Old Testament Survey my freshman year of college wasn't as thought-provoking as this class and I had to write a 9-page paper for it! I learned a lot more about J. Hudson Taylor during service that afternoon and walked away with one particular scenario burned in my memory: the story of Mr. Taylor giving the $50 bill in his pocket--all the money to his name--to a poor man whose wife was dying. In that moment I realized that I don't know if I could trust God in that situation. I want to, I hope I would, but would I? I only pray that my trust in Him will grow stronger--and that I will place complete trust in Him. Perspectives class was back in full swing and the place was more crowded than usual. That's not a bad problem to have! :)

I went home and fell asleep. Thus ended Spring Break 2011...the last one I shall ever experience as a student.

Bullet-Style

My day, bullet-style.
* Mid-term grades are in: straight A's
* Fun in the floor hunting for clues and practicing speech
* Exploration of "Why Forest", "When Corner", "Red River", "Blender's Cafe", and "Friendship Theater"
* First encounter with a bilingual speech-language pathologist. Pretty cool.
* Lunch with Heather
* Satisfaction with children's books--finally organized.
* Newly-discovered love for stampers
* Realization that someone stole my markers. Guess they needed them more than I did.
* A statement made during message time by a Sparkie: "I say thank you all the time. I'm a good kid."
* Twitter.
* Blog rounds.
* Chips and salsa.
* Yawn.

The Crosswalk

I received this via email years ago from a friend back home. I didn't draw this or come up with the important message behind these photos. I'm not sure who is responsible since the references were not included in the email, but I would gladly hug their neck if I knew.

It is true. We should bear the cross that God gives us with contentment, tried and true until the end. God never gives us more than we can carry. Instead, He gives us just what we need.

Monday

To show how lost I am, I logged into my blog thinking it was Tuesday. My original title for this post was "Monday on Tuesday" because I truly thought I'd missed the day.

Revelation came as soon as I started to write this post, so thankfully I now know what day it is.

Miscellany Monday
1. Did you know that photos taken using higher shutter speed can capture images in the dark, such as a beautiful full moon, but that the faster speed makes the photo grainy? Neither did I, until a friend tried to explain this phenomenon to me yesterday. I'm one fact smarter, even if I still don't understand the details of it.
2. Chinese restaurants close before church ends on Sunday nights and for some reason no one has thought of the idea of fast-food Chinese in this city. (Either that, or I have yet to discover it.)
3. Jumping jacks don't settle well on upset stomachs. Don't try it at home. Or in public for that matter.
4. Through the Gates of Splendor is a heart-wrenching, life-altering documentary. Watch it.
5. Spring break was wonderful. I took a break from nearly everything. Details coming to later posts.

Multitude Mondays
I thank the Lord for:
31. Three unexpected paychecks that I knew nothing of until Friday.
32. The encouragement of precious friends who are running towards God.
33. A long-awaited call from my brother yesterday.
34. My growing family: a new "stepdad," sister-in-law, neice or nephew on the way, and a soon to be brother-in-law.
35. Stella's health. My poor dog was very sick this weekend. I didn't realize how much I cared about her until I saw her in pain. It feels so good to see her rough-housing like her old self.
36. The memory of a sweet little girl saying, "Look at my cool necklace." [beaming as she holds up a necklace with the name "Jesus" carved in the wooden charm.]
37. Learning how the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed--and how God is changing lives around the world in ways I could never dream!
38. Sweet tea. I drink more of it than I should.
39. The beautiful weather this city was blessed with over spring break.
40. Life. I watched some 2-day old chicks waddle around on Friday and just felt grateful for that moment--one in a million I have every single day--to experience life.

        

Monday Mannerisms

* I decided on a title for my Monday posts from now on by going to dictionary.com and looking up synonyms for "habit." Yeah, I'm not smart enough to do that on my own. I'm thankful for internet resources.

* Yay! I have a new phone! My Mamaw brought me one since the ol' ticker (battery, not heart) gave out on The Vu who had been my constant companion for nearly 2 years. Sad day. Memorial services will be held at noon tomorrow.

* A good friend, MrsSouthernBride, is in Ireland, and I am jealous. Someday I will get to go, though. Someday. I hope she is having a fabulous time there and comes back with lots of stories and photos. I'm sure she is and will.

* I just finished reading a book called, "Same Kind of Different as Me," by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It's a true story about REAL people and definitely worth the read. It will make you think, pray, and do some self-evaluation.

*  Shopping in Wal-mart last night was bittersweet. I miss my Wal-mart family! There are some new faces--mostly with sour looks on their faces. I guess that's just management's way. I was very sad to see all the changes taking place. 3.5 years dedicated to a place, and in two months they've made it almost unrecognizable. I had trouble finding things. I guess that's just the cutomer's way.

I am so grateful to the Lord for:

11. Waking up to another day.

12. Moist, cool air after a rain reminding me of the cleansing the rain brings to the earth.

13. His protection in all circumstances.

14. Going before me and fighting my battles.

15. Being patient with a slow-learner, continuing to remind me that He is in control and perfectly trustworthy.

16. Sweet babies that slobber while they eat and try to feed you their smashed bread pieces.

17. His provision of circumstances to allow me to attend the Perspectives class and the changes He is working in me through the class.

18. A cold puppy nose nudging me awake from under the covers.

19. The wonderful, spontaneous visit from my grandparents Friday evening.

20. Being bombarded by a dozen little arms, wrapping around my legs and waist, during the greeting time at church Sunday.