FANTASTIC DAY!

MY FRIEND IS OKAY AND MY BROTHER GOT MARRIED! IT'S BEEN A FANTASTIC DAY!

I'll post more tomorrow when I can actually think.

THANK YOU GOD FOR ALL YOUR BLESSINGS!

Please Pray

My hometown, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was hit by a F4 or F5 tornado yesterday. 30+ people are confirmed dead and several more are missing. 100+ people are injured. Search and rescue teams are continuing to look for survivors.

I haven't been able to reach one of my friends who lived in the area hardest hit by the tornado. I'm praying he just doesn't have power and cell service at this time, but I don't know. And I'm scared.

Smarter

I love to tell my kids, "It's okay to make mistakes, just as long as you learn from them."

So, when I make a mistake or suffer a loss, I try to figure out what exactly I should be learning from the situation. What questions does the situation raise? What changes will I make in the future? Should I make changes at all?

In most situations, this process takes little time, as many mistakes have a cut-and-dry mistake/ consequence sequence. I sped/ I received a ticket/ I shouldn't speed. I ate too much/ I gained weight/ I shouldn't be a glutton.

But what happens when everything isn't so cut-and-dry? What happens when you come up with all your questions, but the answers aren't so obvious? What then?

You ask more questions. You dig deeper and you think harder and you feel more. Because, if you don't, you will never learn.


“The only mistake in life is the lesson not learned.”
                                              ~Albert Einstein

Stronger

I have a reputation for being "strong." I'm the one that people think can hold it together during a crisis, laughing as if it was all nothing more than an inconvenience.

The truth is, I'm a good actress. I've had moments when I was incredibly weak, feeling scared and alone and wanting to run away from the pain. Fortunately or unfortunately, when you obtain a scar--physical or emotional--there's no running away from it. You just have to live through the pain. And through living, you become stronger.

That's one reason why I love Sara Evans' song, "A Little Bit Stronger." It seems to capture so much of what I've felt (and, at times, still feel) in one song. 

“Scar tissue is stronger than regular tissue. Realize the strength, move on.”

                                           ~ Henry Rollins



A Love Letter

You have made me promises you never kept, and asked my advice that you never followed.
I still love you.

You have been embarrassed by me, have denied knowing me and have made fun of me.
I still love you.

You have treated me as a crutch, only wanting me when times are hard and throwing me aside when life is good.
I still love you.

You have asked for proof of my love, time and time again. I allowed My Son to die for your sins. Yet, you still ask for more.
I still love you.

My love is unconditional and unwavering. All you have to do is choose to accept it. Will you?
Because I still love you.

My prayer today and every day is that all will come to know the amazing love of God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 (KJV)

Adventures

Having grown up in a rural area of Alabama, I developed a lively imagination. One of my favorite things to do as a child was to imagine myself in some grand adventure where I'd be the brave heroine saving the day for mankind.

Being all grown up now, I've retained some of my imagination. I no longer dream that I can save mankind; I do still believe, though, in making normal life occurances an adventure. (Granted, some would be mean spirited enough to call some of my adventures "mistakes," but why ruin a good story?)

I guess one of my biggest adventures of late has been surviving the tornado which passed over our neighborhood. We were very fortunate in the fact that there were no deaths or injuries, and most of the property damage caused by the F1 twister was more inconvenient than anything else. I know of only one home in my neighborhood which had significant damage on the interior of the home (due to a fallen tree.) Other than that, all of the damage appeared to be missing shingles, downed trees, damage to garages and back porches and blown away fences. Mine was one of the fences that went bye-bye.


There once was a fence here.



Fence that is no more.

Then, I recently had another adventure which my son is having WAY too much glee retelling.

See, I lost my wallet the other day. Couldn't find it anywhere. Searched the house, the car, my office, my yard, in the freezer, in the laundry--nowhere.

I was running low on gas, but had enough to get me home. My son needed to get something out of his dad's apartment which is only a couple of miles from my house, so I asked Moneybags if I could borrow a few dollars in cash (since I never have any and the bank was closed) to get some gas in my car. Sure! No problem!

One problem. I managed to run out of gas between the apartment and the gas station. Now, I'm in grungy clothes, wearing no shoes and both kids are with me. Staying calm, cool and collected (while internally cursing myself), I walk to the closest gas station with borrowed money in my hand and borrowed shoes on my feet (courtesy of my son, also.)

Now, for anyone who believes that kindness is dead, I would like to state the sweet Texaco attendant who helped me completely blows your theory! She was so kind--allowing me to get some gas in a container and return to collected my two babies that I had threatened with death if they left the locked car--before I paid. She did this only on my promise to return.

I managed to get the gallon of gas into my tank and drove my car the remainder of the way to the gas station. I then drove home while my son called his Papa (my daddy) on MY cell phone. What did my son do? HE TATTLED ON ME! Told Papa all about my running out of gas. He then told one of my work kiddos the following day, making sure he did so as he was leaving the car so I couldn't reach him. On top of that, when Robin came by the next day, he took extreme delight in telling her too! (She already knew, so I blew his joy on that one at least! HA!)

I guess the good news is, my son is finding joy in my adventures!

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

                                       ~Helen Keller

Blocked Calls=Crazy Christie!

I don't like it when people block their calls. I always wonder who's at the other end of the line. Not enough to actually ANSWER the blocked call. I figure if someone wants to talk to me, they will leave me a message.

So, imagine how crazy I've been the last few days. I've had three separate blocked calls plus a couple of weird wrong numbers. All the wrong numbers are from the Birmingham/ Bessemer area, but that's all I can find out through my excellent amateur sleuthing.

As crazy as the call make me, let me just say that it has definitely kept me distracted these last few days. And, since I've publicly stated that I wish to be distracted, I guess I must thank Mr. or Ms. Blocked Call Caller. Thank you!

You can always find a distraction if you're looking for one.



                                   ~Tom Kite

A Good Laugh

I love Calvin and Hobbes. I always have. I even named one of my cats after them. (Calvin, not Hobbes. The one who gifted me the cat said Hobbes was too predictable.)

So, when I need a good laugh, I go to these two funny guys. Enjoy!

"It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning."



"If warped values are the price of a vicarious thrill, so be it!"



"Why should I have to WORK for everything?! It's like saying I don't deserve it!"

"If you do the job badly enough, sometimes you don't get asked to do it again."


"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want."



"Well, remember what you said, because in a day or two, I'll have a witty and blistering retort! You'll be devastated THEN!"



"Nothing spoils fun like finding out it builds character."

"Reality continues to ruin my life."



"Susie if you want to see your doll again, leave $100 in this envelope by the tree out front. Do not call the police you CANNOT trace us, you CANNOT find us. Sincerely, Calvin"


"I like maxims that don't encourage behavior modification."



"A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day."

"That's the difference between me and the rest of the world! Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!"


"In my opinion, we don't devote nearly enough scientific research to finding a cure for jerks."


"You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help."

I'm So Excited! And I Just Can't Hide It!

I will admit here in my blog that I am currently VERY excited about an upcoming date. Granted, it's not MY date, but I'm excited none-the-less.

If there are any important updates, I will be happy to reveal them (upon clearance from the person I'm living vicariously through at this time.)

I CAN'T STOP GRINNING!

True friendship is seen through the heart not through the eyes.


                                              ~Unknown

Just to Let You Know...

Just to let you know:

1) Walking 20 miles takes some time to do.
2) Trying to walk 20 miles in almost 90 degree weather is nothing short of insanity.
3) Deciding to walk on a treadmill in a gym for 3 hours until the gym closes is less insane.
4) When walking 20 miles, you must remember that you will be sore the next day.
5) When you are up to mile 12, you will be sore RIGHT THEN.
6) It's always better to suffer with someone than by yourself.
7) If you eat an ice cream sandwich before walking 20 miles, it become a guilt-free pleasure.
8) You will more than likely sleep late the day after walking 20 miles.
9) Being able to justify NOT walking 10 miles the day after walking 20 miles is VERY easy to do.
10) No matter how much you will dread doing it, a little part of you will be very proud once you've accomplished the 20 mile walk.

Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.         
                                               ~Steven Wright

Goosebumps

There are days when my job drains me. (Running the roads all day, dealing with a twitty teens and trying to dig out from under a ton of paperwork has that affect on me.) Luckily, it's during these draining days that God usually provides me with one of His greatest blessings to me...goose bumps.

This week I've had more than a few goose bump moments, and it has reaffirmed to me that I'm in the right line of work. First, I was able to see my Goose Bump Girl get back on track. This young woman is incredible, wonderful, amazing, fantastic--you get the point. What makes her all these things is the fact she is making the most of her life despite some devastating blows which she has suffered, any one of which could cause someone to crumble. She doesn't. She struggles. She doubts. She rages at times. But she doesn't crumple.

She keeps moving forward. She keeps learning and growing and maturing. She doesn't feel she is entitled to anything, but she is grateful for all she has. She talks to me, and I sit in awe of all she has accomplished so far. I look forward to see all of her accomplishments to come--with tears in my eyes and goose bumps on my arms.

Then, tonight, I had the chance to meet with one of my young men and his foster mom. This young man can make me grin from ear-to-ear, laughing and joking and basically being a mess. Even when he has me at my most frustrated, he can look at me and grin his big ol' smile, and I just have the hardest time fussing as loud as I want.

And then there's his foster mom. New to being a foster parent, she has the wisdom of someone who has been helping others for years.  This woman makes me happy just to be in her presence. Kind, loving, beautiful, funny--you get the picture--this woman and the relationship she and my young man have forged makes the hair stand up on my arms every time. I truly believe God was guiding this young man to this home.

I thank God for giving me the opportunity to see and be a part of these blessings. And I thank Him for His blessings alert system--goose bumps.

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

                                     ~John 1:16 (NIV)

Phantom Pains

Have you ever heard of phantom pains? This is a phenomenon most often associated with amputees--the person still "feels" pain in the limb that is no longer there.

Sometimes I think phantom pain best describes what hits those who have suffered an emotional loss. Years after losing someone, for whatever reason, a subtle ache and the feeling of something being amiss can arise. It is this pain that can slowly sap one of strength. It is this pain that can cause a person to lay awake at night, not fully asleep yet not fully awake, trying to decide what exactly is wrong. It is this pain that can cause one to dwell on the past when what one should be looking at is the future.

The good new is that emotional phantom pains do eventually subside--at least for a time. And, when they do, the reality of the situation becomes more clear:

"A loss has occurred, and the healing has begun. What's gone is done, but what will be is up to me."

My Mini Library

I love to read. This was one of the reasons I was an English major in college. Well, that and I wanted to avoid math as much as humanly possible.

So, imagine my happiness when I discovered the Kindle app for my iPhone. Imagine my even greater happiness when I discovered that one of the blogs I follow--The Frugal Girls--frequently posts when Amazon discounts various books for free. Yep. FREE!!!! (I love free.)

Beyond my love of the "free," I like the fact that I'm being exposed to books and authors I'm not familiar with, as I tend to get myself into reading ruts.  And, with my crazy life as crazy as it is, I tend to forget to do little things like return books to the library. I never have to return these books, simplifying my life tremendously.

So, as I said before, my Kindle app is bringing me great happiness. If you can, check it out. I'm willing to bet your own mini library will make you happy, too.

“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”



                                     ~Jorge Luis Borges

Whoops!

Well, it wasn't the best of training months in March. Between a grandmother in a hospital (Robin) and sinus infections and spring break trips (me), that whole walking thing was pushed to the back burner many days.

Robin was able (Let me just say right here--I'm not really sure HOW she managed this with her grandmother in the hospital with a shattered leg.) 45.6 miles. I managed 66 miles, which I can only attribute to a miracle, because I sure as heck didn't feel like walking a majority of the month.

But, upon discussing this (through texts) with Robin, we are determined to make April a better month of walking!

A goal properly set is halfway reached. 

                 ~ Abraham Lincoln

You must have long term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short term failures. 

                ~ Charles C. Noble

Little League, Better Known as My Life

Dear Mr. Little League Commisioner,

I would like to point out my son is currently only 11 years old. Granted, he will be 12 later this year, but, at this time, he is 11.

So, may I ask why exactly his current Little League game schedule looks more like the Braves' or the Yankees'? Not to complain (at least not too much), but four games in one week may be borderline ridiculous--minus the "borderline." Since my son is not receiving the compensation of a major league player, the fact that he is often grumpy following the late night practices/ games is an extreme nuisance to me.

Also, I am not just looking out for the well-being of myself and my child. I have also noticed a few of the faces of opposing teams' coaches turning various shades of purple during recent games. I am concerned that these color changes are bad things, and pushing these people to coach so many games in one week may lead to much negative media attention.

Thank you for the your attention in this matter.

Sincerely yours,

A Cranky Little League Mom

“Kids should practice autographing baseballs. This is a skill that's often overlooked in Little League.”

Success!

Well, today's yard sale did absolutely nothing for my healthy eating habits (Krispy Kreme donuts, brownies and coffee are some SERIOUS temptations!), nor my sleep habits (Late to bed and early to rise makes Christie cranky, achy, and no prize.); but the yard sale today was a success!

Robin and I raised around $100 apiece towards our fundraising goals. Now we are plotting our next yard sale the first weekend in May.  Maybe we will be able to earn even more!

Robin working her sale woman magic!

Luckily these lovely ladies bought the two pillows I was seriously thinking of buying myself!


“[at prof. Frink's yard sale]Three dollars and it only transports matter?!”


~ Homer Simpson


(In honor of "The Sweater Lady.")

Letters

I've never been really good at the journaling thing. It has always seemed a bit redundant to write what I was thinking. But, I also know, from a counseling standpoint, how positive this activity can be.

So, instead of writing my thoughts down in a "Dear Diary" way, I write letters in my journal. Most are love letters to those in my life. Some are more along the lines of "When I get my hands on you..." letters. All reflect my feelings on that very day, and they chronicle what is occurring in my life at that time.

Now, as much as I love blogging, I'm not going to write my inner-most feelings or reveal any huge secrets on here. But, in my letters, I write down everything. Eventually, someone might see them. I doubt it, though. Some thoughts are just meant to be kept in unsent letters.

“You don't know a woman until you have a letter from her.”



                                        ~Ada Leverson