marriage is what brings us together...

I hope that you recognize where the title of this post comes from, or we may not be able to be friends.  (only kind of kidding)

Marriage may be what brings us together, but it most definitely is what separates the men from the women.

Allow me to explain...
This morning I had an interesting conversation with my dear friend Kandy via text message.  The conversation somehow turned to the topic of getting married and being single.  We discussed the default answer to the question "why are you still single?" (which is a question I despise with every ounce of my being, in case you were wondering)  We determined that the dude default answer is "I'm never getting married" and the chick default answer is "I am just waiting for the right guy to come along".  Is there anything wrong with both of these answers...not really, but why do they differ so much?
My answer to the why do they differ question was girls say they are waiting for the right guy because they basically have been planning their wedding since they were 5 and are determined that they are going to get married so they can plan the wedding of their dreams.  They are not ready to give up that dream!  They refuse to let all those slumber parties that you spent hours looking through Bride Magazine be wasted.  Or as it is today, they refuse to let all those perfectly good pins on their secret wedding board go unused!  The question was also posed during this discussion, "what if the girl never gets married?"  Which I see as a valid question and the answer was "she was still looking for Mr. Right..." (there is much truth in that).

Now the boys/gentlemen/dudes (which ever you prefer)...
Why is their default answer "I'm never getting married"?!  Do they give up that easily?  I think not, I have meet many a guy that is not willing to give up on ANYTHING that easily.  Is it just easier to tell themselves they aren't getting married and go about their marry way?  Do they even consider other responses?  Is it easier to say that than to appear to be a "girly man"?  What if a girl comes along and "changes their mind"?  Is she really changing his mind or is she changing what he verbalizes?  Do guys actually think about their weddings? (doubt it, but stranger things have happened).  Boys are just a strange set of humans...

I feel like I just did a bunch of rambling.  I apologize for that.  If you are a dude and are reading this, help a sister out!  Help me understand(isn)...I can't promise that I will fully understand, but you can explain it anyway.

shopping and dating...

The title of this post is pretty straight forward...shopping and dating.  There is no need to beat around the bush here, let's just get straight to the point shall we.

Today I went shopping.  I had two specific things in mind that I "had" to have to complete two separate outfits.  These two items were a navy blue shirt and a black and white polka dot shirt, seems simple enough.  So my first stop was GAP outlet...surely they will have both of these items and I can go home and do nothing for the rest of the night.  As I browse through the store, I come across about 7 different types of navy blue shirts.  Which one is going to work best with the outfit I have picked out?  Which one will I wear again?  Decisions, decisions, decisions... (side note:  I don't do well with decisions)  I finally choose a soft cotton one that has a modest neckline (don't want to get too crazy) and seems to be long enough (because nothing is worse than a shirt that is too short...ugh!).  Polka dot shirt was a no go at GAP so on to the next store I go...Macy's.  I stroll around Macy's for a good hour looking at the exact same things 27 times.  I tried on a few items, they weren't polka dot, but I thought they could work.  I was wrong.  I considered buying a new purse, because YOLO (yes I said it), but I resisted.  No polka dot shirt was to be found, so I took a nice leisurely stroll through the shoes.  I spotted the perfect pair...a pair of denim-esq flats with white stars on them.  I had to have them.  They would go perfectly with the outfit that was in my brain already anyway.  I bought them.  But still no polka dot shirt.  So off to Target I go...my last resort.  They had t-shirts on sale...bonus!!!  But guess what they didn't have...polka dots!  So after much debate, I decided to change the outfit in my brain and go a different direction.  I bought a black t-shirt.  I know, very original...deal with it!  So long story short, I have a navy blue shirt, new star flats and a new black t-shirt...close to the original plan.

You are probably asking, what does this have to do with dating, and you have a valid point.  Let me help you out.  In my brain I have a picture of the man I am going to marry.  I have a very good idea of what I want him to look like, how I want him to act, how much money he should make, and what sports he should enjoy (baseball, obviously).  This picture in my brain has been there for a while and has probably kept me from having a very nice friendship/relationship with some guys.  Many times when I am shopping I have an idea of what I want in my brain and rarely do I find it or anything else for that matter.  I am too focused on what I want and not taking the time to see what is actually out there.  I need to apply this to dating.  I need to stop being Charlie Mackenzie and actually give guys a chance.  I need to stop being so wrapped up in my world that I don't see what is actually out there.  What have I already missed because I was too busy finding flaws to actually see the positive?  

I realize there were a lot of "I"'s in that last portion...maybe that is part of the problem too.  But that is for a different day.

must be nice...

I love my church, I really do!  Right now we are focusing our attention on the book of Mark.  As our pastor put it, Mark is the twitter version of the gospel.  Mark is to the point.  He is not going to sugar coat anything, he is not going to add fluff to make us feel good about ourselves...he means says what he means and means what he says.  Today in church the sermon was over Mark 10: 17-31.  If you are not familiar with this passage it is the passage in which Jesus speaks to the rich young man.  Jesus gives the rich young man 4 instructions: 

1. Go
2. Sell everything you have
3. Give to the poor
4. Come, follow me

That is all.  Seems simple enough right?  Why did Jesus not just tell the rich young man to "come follow me"...just skip all the other stuff and get right down to what He really wanted?  Jesus knew that the rich young man was attached to his wealth and social status...He needed the man to get all of that "stuff" out of the way so that he could give Jesus his full allegiance.  In verse 22 of the passage it says "At this the man's face fell.  He went away sad, because he had great wealth".  Did he ever come and follow Jesus?  We don't know.  But one thing we do know is what is happening in our own life. 

We may not see ourselves as a "rich young ruler" or as wealthy by any means.  We may even sit back and compare ourselves to celebrities and those that we consider wealthy.  We dream of having the wealth that they have, we wish that we could just know what it is like to be that rich for one day.  We can't be content with what we have, because we continually compare ourselves to those that we will never be.  My pastor told us this morning that 50% of the world's population lives on about $2.50 a day...to those people we are who they aspire to be.  Let me give that a second to sink in...

Humbling isn't it?  To half of the world's population, we are the wealthy, and we are never satisfied with what we have.  I would venture to say that if you are reading this, you have a roof over your head, you have clothes to put on, you have the ability to wash said clothes, you have some form of transportation, you have food in your shelter (it may not be the food you want, but you have food), and you obviously have some means of connecting to the internet (computer, iPad, smart phone, etc).  Ladies and gentlemen, that list of things is more than half the world will ever have!  And yet we complain (myself included) that our car isn't nice enough, our internet isn't fast enough, the clothes we have aren't good enough.  As we are sitting in our air conditioned/heated houses watching celebrities on our TV and thinking "must be nice to be them..." there are many in the world today looking at us and thinking the exact same thing about us. 

Jesus knew that the rich young ruler needed to give up his possessions and his wealth before he could give Jesus his full allegiance.  What is it in your life that you need to give up in order to give Jesus your full allegiance? 

***In case you are wondering, this blog was not written to condemn or judge anyone...I am reading this and looking at myself in the mirror as well...***

bringing it back to me...

This past summer, my friends and I decided to take a little trip.  We took a trip to Chicago.  Many memories were made in Chicago...some good and some bad, but memories none the less.  Along with the memories, many new phrases were added to our "phrase bank".  Some of the phrases were:  "mojo goes Midwest", "Target miracle", "Are you sick?", "Here is what I'm saying, I have nothing to say", and "Bringing it back to me...".  The last phrase, "bringing it back to me" is one that has been popping up in my brain a lot lately.  And every time it does, I think "I need to write about that".  I have wrestled with what to write and have finally determined what I want to say (I think), so here it goes...

We are all born with a selfish desire.  We all have the desire to make things about us, to be selfish.  Some of us out grow this, some of us never quite do.  This brings up the question, when do we out grow this?  I think that as a Christian, when you make the decision to follow Christ, that selfish desire is one that starts to fade, or at least it should.  We start to realize that there is a bigger picture and that there is so much more that is so much bigger than us!  And then we get comfortable.  We want to focus on the bigger picture, but our comfort level leads us to say "bringing it back to me".  We start doing things because it will benefit us or because we know that if we do something else it might push us to a place that we don't want to go.  There is a point in which we have to step back and ask ourselves, "why am I doing this?"  Am I saying that you shouldn't take time for you, not at all!  I am saying that once every decision is based on if it benefits us personally or not, we have lost focus and need to reevaluate some things in our lives.  We are not the ones that need to be saying "bringing it back to me..." but we should be listening to God say "bringing it back to me..." because if we are doing things for the right reasons, they will be bringing it all back to Him! 

reasons...

I thought that now would be a good time to write a blog entry.  Why now...well, I am avoiding doing lesson plans, avoiding going to bed, and avoiding many other things...so why not blog. 

This summer was a whirlwind of excitement.  I worked at that zoo again this summer.  Teaching kids about animals is always a good time, especially when I don't have to come up with the lesson plans and don't have to grade any papers.  But not only did this summer involve me working but it also involved a little travel.  I got to go to Austin for a few days and then Chicago for almost a week.  Austin was for a conference, but it was fun.  Chicago was for fun...and clearly by fun I mean baseball!  My friends and I decided that we would travel to Chicago this summer and the time that we picked just so happened to be when the Rangers were playing the White Sox in Chicago.  I will say, the White Sox field is not the happiest place on Earth.  We were miserable the whole time we were there, and it didn't help that the Rangers lost.  We did get to experience other Chicago landmarks, like the Bean, the Field museum, the art institute and other various locations.  We encountered some interesting people, made some interesting lasting memories, and sweated enough to fill up several water bottles.  Next summer perhaps we will go see Joe. 

But as this summer comes to an end, another school year begins.  This year I will be teaching 8th grade, which in all honesty scares me a little.  I will have some of the same kids as last year and will have some new students.  But no matter who is in my classroom, I know that they have been put there for a reason.  Things don't just happen by accident.  Now I just need to keep in mind that I have been put in that classroom for reason as well.  Maybe I have been put in that students life to be a mentor to them.  Maybe I have been put in their life to be a shoulder to cry on.  Maybe I have been put in their life to be a person to hug them (I hope that isn't the reason, but if it is I guess I can do it).  I don't know what my student's summers looked like, I don't know if they ate everyday.  I don't know if their electricity got shut off in the middle of July when it was 103!  But I do know they are in my class and in it for a reason.  My prayer as I enter into this school year is that God would soften my heart to hear what my students are and are not saying and that He would give the wisdom and compassion to respond in a way that would reflect Him in my life. 

To all of you starting a new school year: the best of luck to you! It will be over before we know it...make the most of it!

let's talk about sex...

It is the end of the school year!  This is a time of year I both love and hate.  I love it because it means that it is almost summer but I hate it because the kids are a little more insane than their normal 7th grade selves.  So knowing that the students are going to be a slightly more antsy version of themselves, we typically plan sex ed for the end of the year.  More specifically, we plan our abstinence lessons.  We can always count on the kids being engaged during these lessons.  This is the third year third year I have taught this and each and every year my kids manage to amaze me. 

This year they have been particularly concerned with how they can contract STDs.  I would be lying if I said that this didn't concern me slightly.  These kids are in 7th grade...why is this something they are concerned about?  I mean let's get real for a second, half of these kids aren't even certain why girls have a period.  They also still think the baby grows in the stomach. 

Every class period during these lessons I give each student an index card.  At the end of the class period I instruct them that on one side they are to write something they have learned and on the other side they are to write any questions they have.  This activity alone produces some very entertaining material.  Let me share some items with you...

My favorite  from last year:
     What I learned--Having sex is not wuz up!
      Questions--None!  I've seen enough!

Things learned from this year:

• If you take out your fertilizer so you won't get pregnant can you put it back in?
  **For the record, I have no idea what this actually means!
• I learned how sex can be affective to pregnancy. 
• I learned that sex is not a good thing and its a risk.
• That people can have things tie or cut off to not have any more kids.
• Allot.  Everything waz helpful!
• Buy flowers for the wife!
• ***Drum roll please*** My personal favorite one from this year:  Teens are more foolish than I thought!

I really do enjoy my job and I really do enjoy teaching sex ed.  It is always such a comical way of ending the year!

a year in review (part 2)

I decided to wait until today to write part 2 of this post, because with the new timeline on facebook if I waited until today I could easily look back by month and see what went down.  So picking up where I left off...here we go!

JULY
Oh July...you bring hot temperatures, fireworks, cookouts and my birthday!  Also, in 2011 you brought these things...

My birthday at the ballpark.  And for every one's viewing pleasure I will go ahead and leave this picture this size.  Originally when the Rangers schedule came out they were not playing on my birthday, which in all honesty made me sad.  But in May, the same day I had jury duty, they got rained out and they rescheduled the game for July 7th!  This brought a great deal of pleasure to my life!  Since the game was a make up game, there was no one there, so we were able to score these seats, and this view of 1st base.  This day was a bit bittersweet however, as it was also the game that the fan fell from the stands and later died. 

On that note, July 2011 also brought this...

My near and dear friend Kandy got to come visit me and we went with our friend Beth to Painting with a Twist.  We got to paint the adorable little fella on the left.  I have a feeling that we will be doing this again in 2012!




This also happened...

Yes folks, that is right, the Rangers beat the Twins 20-6 and I got to be at the game.  If I have to choose a 2nd favorite team it would have to be the Twins.  The main reason for that choice is #7-Joe Mauer.  I did wear my Joe Mauer shirt to this game, but also had on my Rangers hat.  This is also the game that my dear friend Suzi choked on a peanut and I failed to come to her rescue.  I thought she finished coughing because she finished, not because she couldn't breathe!  Oops!







Also, this happened...

Our friend Jackie had a birthday and we went to Piranha Killer Sushi.  I didn't eat sushi this night, but I did enjoy a delicious meal and a good time with friends!

AUGUST

August, oh August...you bring us even more heat.  You also bring us the start of school.  I kind of think that out of the 12 months available, you are my least favorite...sorry August, someone has to be last. 

 As I said, August brings the start of school and with that comes much preparation and much excitement. 

This is just one of the days that I happened to snap a photo of the thermometer in my car.  Needless to say it was a really hot summer!!! 

This sign is pretty fantastic and so are the ladies I got to share this game with.  Michael Young hit his 2000th hit and we were there for it.  We had a glittertastic sign and everything.  This sign currently resides in my garage. 

August also contained some pretty fabulous facial accessories...

We had to support our boy Derek Holland and his attempt to grow a mustache, or as we in Texas call it a Dutchstache.  We made shirts that said "respect the stache" and also obtained some pretty fantastic clip on staches.  And ladies and gentlemen, this was just the beginning!

SEPTEMBER

Oh September...I really don't have much to say about you, but I do have lots that happened within your 30 days! 

Like this...

I got to visit with these fantastic people for the first time in a very long time.  These wonderful people are my cousins.  The reason we all were able to spend time together was because my grandmother passed away.  So the reason wasn't great, but it was great seeing them all.  I hope we can do it again sometime without the sad circumstances surrounding it. 

Not long after returning from Albuquerque, I headed here...

Yep, that's right...San Francisco.  I was able to spend 5 days here and attend a conference at the Exploratorium.  It was a great time had by all.  The weather was beautiful, the sights were fantastic, the shopping and eating were wonderful.  I loved it and can't wait to go back again...either for a conference or just to go, I will take either. 

The night I came back from San Fran, this happened...

The Rangers became the AL West champs for the second year in a row!!!!!  Amber and I were at the ballpark at midnight to get our shirts!  Aren't they cute!?

Also this happened...

I can't really tell you which game this was,  but I love the picture and needed to share it.  Love these gals and will always cherish the memories of the 2011 baseball season! 

This also happened...

The Rangers had their last regular season home game and of course we were there...why wouldn't we be!?  The first picture is from our seats at that game.  The second picture is Amber and I pretty much right after we appeared on the jumbotron.  It only took us all season, but we finally made it!   

                                                        

OCTOBER

October...the only way I enjoy seeing you come is if my boys are still playing ball.  So this year, October was a delightful month.  In the month of October, my friends and I were able to attend an ALDS game, and ALCS game and a World Series game.  Also, if we were not in attendanced at the games, we were able to watch them together.  I am just going to go ahead an post all the pictures I have for October and put a caption under each...let this serve as your warning...they are all baseball related. 

Suzi, Amber, and I showing off our AL chamsp shirts that we stood in line for with hundreds of other crazy folks!

This is truly one of my favorite places on the planet! 

The baseball gals fresh off a World Series domination by none other than Derek Holland!!!

Speaking of Derek Holland, we got to meet his family!  We were hanging out before game 4 and they came up to us and requested a photograph...they were delightful indiviuals. 

Watching game 6 of the WS at Painting with a Twist.  This was probably my least favorite painting...could it be because I was a little distracted!?

I think the sign says it all! 

NOVEMBER
November, dear sweet November.  You bring unwanted poundage to our hips and stomach regions, but you also bring cooler temperatures and lots of family time. 

You also brought this...

I got a new dog!  This is Starla.  I don't know what kind of dog she is, but I like to call her my pygmy golden retriever. 

We are clearly too cool for school! 

This also happened...

The new Muppet movie came out!  My dear friend Loni had a birthday and since the theme of her parties is usually a kid party what better way to celebrate than with the Muppets!?  We went to the show at midnight.  Please note my outfit and my friend Amber's outfit (she is the one laying in the front).  You should be able to spot some similarities...oh wait.  Our outfits are exactly the same!!!!  Totally not planned!

DECEMBER
Oh December, I think we all know what you bring...lots of joy, lots of presents, lots of people at the mall!  But for me in 2011 you also brought this...

One of my former students signed to play basketball at the University of Texas and myself and several collegues were fortunate enough to be able to attend the signing. 

This also happened...

Nothing says Christmas quite like jazz hands!  We are adorable, we know! 

This also showed up on my plate at one point...

That is right, I ate sushi for the first time!  It was enjoyable.  The tuna part of it I didn't like so much, but the rest was delightful!

This also occured...

I got a new nephew.  Jenson Douglas Wooten joined the family on 12/13/11.  Even though sister dosen't look excited in this photo, she actually is very excited to be a big sister! 

And finally, I ended 2011 with this...

A New Year's eve party.  It was quite a good time had by all, and I even dressed up! 

I hope you have enjoyed my year in review.  I will try my very best to keep up with all the happenings this year as they actually happen, then I won't have to spend as long reviewing at the end! 

I wish all of you the very best in 2012!  And GO RANGERS!!!!

a year in review (part 1)...

HO.LY. COW!!!  It is only one day away from being 2012.  Where does the time go!?  I have decided that a good way to end this year is by blogging, because this is something I want to do more of next year.  So, why not do a year in review...I will make this in two parts, the first half of the year and the last half of the year, otherwise I will be sitting here typing all morning.  Also, I feel it is most appropriate to include as many pictures as possible because that is how I remember what went on in the year...my memory is bad
! So...here goes nothing! 

JANUARY
Oh January, a month full of such hope and anticipation, such mystery and wonder, such left over holiday weight and plans to go to the gym...
So how did I start 2011...with a trip to Fuzzy's!!!!!

I can honestly think of no better way to start a year....can you!?  After this, I really don't have any pictures from January or any huge memory of things that happened, so on to the next...

FEBRUARY
Oh February...a month filled with such love and blah, blah, blah. 
February started out with this...

And several more days just like it followed.  This also brought a plethora of snow days...5 to be exact!  It sounds wonderful, but being stuck in a house for 5 days is kind of boring!  Here are a few others from "snowmageddon".

This was my backyard!

I watched these movies while trapped!

Also during this time, I did make it over to my friend Suzi's house where I watched Star Wars for the very first time...there is no photographic evidence of this, but it did happen!

I also got to wear my fabulous Christmas present from my sister in February & here it is....

I think the best part of wearing this was all my students reactions...they didn't know if they should take me seriously or not.  But have no fear, I totally intend on wearing this bad boy again in 2012!

MARCH
Oh March...you bring such joy to my life.  Not only do you contain spring break (which I thank you for) but you also have spring training, which only means one thing....we are very near to baseball season beginning.  Sorry...chased a little rabbit there...

The beginning of March brought this...

Yep, that is right, I got a roommate. She moved in at the beginning of March and it has been delightful.

March also brought, as mentioned earlier, spring break, which meant I got to spend time with this little lady...

I don't remember much else about March so let's now move on to the month that begins the most wonderful season of all...baseball season!

APRIL
Oh April, how I love thee, let me count the ways...
My friends and I decided this year to purchase a 20 game package and spilt them with their parents...we figured 10 Rangers games would be plenty.  However, we ended up going to almost 30, and thus begins the long string of baseball themed pictures and months...

We didn't get opening day tickets :( but we did get opening night tickets, which also came with a replica AL Championship ring...I'll take it! 

I kind of feel like this may have been the first game we went to this season, but if it isn't oh well...it was one of the first. 
April also brings about my niece and my sister's birthdays.  My niece had a skating b-day party this year and this is me and my roomie at it. 

We may have had just as good of a time as the kids! 

MAY
May oh glorious May...you bring such joy to my life...you bring the end of a school year! 
May also brought this...

To the untrained eye, this is just a preparation manual and a Starbucks drink in a Starbucks, but this is so much more!  This my friends is how I killed time before I had to report back to the courthouse on the very first time I got called for jury duty!  I was preparing to take my ESL certification test, which I took later that month and past! 

May also brings the time of the year that in my class we talk about abstinence.  When we first began this unit, I was a little nervous to say the least, now, I don't hesitate to talk about a penis or vagina or straight out answer any questions that the students may have.  At the end of each lesson, I have the students write on a slip of paper...on one side they write any questions they still have on the other they write what they have learned that day.  This is one response I got...

Clearly my job was done...at least for one student.  Also, this may be my bookmark to this day! 

May also brought a field trip to the Rough Riders game.  This was the first Rough Riders game I had been to and I am glad that I got to share the experience with 125 7th and 8th graders! 

 May also brought the addition of this to my wardrobe...

Don't judge!  I love me some Joe Mauer!  But the addition of this to my wardrobe may have also been one of the key reasons my beloved Joe ended up on the DL for most of the season...stupid t-shirt jinx!  Sorry about that Joe, but you've got many more seasons left! 

JUNE
Oh June...I have a love/hate relationship with you...I love you because you are summer but I hate you because I live in Texas and it is getting HOT!!!

June brought these things...

To the untrained eye this is just a wonderful picture, but in actuality this was a fun-filled weekend get away with some fantastic ladies!  Oh how I love Austin weekend get aways, especially when they involve views like this and kayaks...how can you go wrong!?

It also involved this delightful surprise...Mitch Moreland on the cover of the program at the Rangers game!  Clearly this brought much joy to my life. 

June also brought the start of my new summer job...education instructor at the Dallas Zoo!!  I taught 2nd and 3rd graders about animals for the summer.  It was spectacular!  There are many quotes that will live in infamy in my life because of the summer at the zoo.  For example:  "Oh good thing I ducked, I almost got bird banged!" or "Well...it all started at the Savannah Base Camp..."  And the summer wouldn't have been nearly as fun if I wasn't teaching with the fabulous Riley!

I will end June, and this post with one last picture that can probably sum up May-October really...

These are my gals!  Many a good times were had at this very ballpark!  Also, may great friendships were began here!  I love this ballpark, I love my Texas, my Rangers, and I love my friends!!!!

Part 2 will come later today or tomorrow....stay tuned!

To my Grandma Betty Jo...

I know that there is a reason for everything, I know that it clearly is your time, but it doesn't make things any easier.  Last July when they told us there wasn't much time, you took that as a personal challenge apparently and really showed them!  You are probably one of the strongest and most stubborn women I know (and people wonder where I get it).  Yet through it all, I have no doubt that you and grandpa both never gave up on God and never stopped praying!  I know that the last several years have been rough on you and grandpa (and the whole family really), but you have shown us all what true love really is.  You and grandpa have truly lived out the part of your wedding vows that you vowed to "love each other through sickness and health". 

I know that you have left this earthly body behind and are no longer experiencing pain!  I know that you are dancing on the streets of glory where you will forever be in the presence of the king!  But it is just so hard letting you go.  I know that I will never again hear you ask me if I've found a boyfriend and then when I answer no, you try your hardest to come up someone for me.  It is hard knowing that whoever my future husband is will never have the opportunity or privilege to know you.  It is hard knowing that the children I may one day have will never know you, only stories.  It is hard knowing that my mom will never be able to pick up the phone again and wish you a "Happy Mother's day" or just see how your day is going. 

But I can rest in the fact that I know where you are.  I know that you are going to spend eternity in heaven.  I know that you have prayed for everyone of your children and grandchildren to come to have a personal relationship with Jesus as well.  So I know that one day we will all be reunited in heaven where we will all spend eternity worshipping our King! 

I love you Grandma Betty Jo and will miss you dearly!  But I know that you are no longer in pain!  Go ahead Grandma, sport those high heels like you have been wanting to do for year, but haven't been able to! 
We no longer have to say "Grandma Betty Jo, where are you?" because we know you are in the presence of the King!!!

i know this about myself...

One of my friends told me the other night (and this may not be exactly what she said, but it is close) "Randa, I love you and you are probably one of my favorite people in the world, but you are weird!"  Some people may not know how to take that, but I accept it and move on.  I know myself, I have lived with myself for 31 years now, and I know that I am weird. 

In middle/high school I went through a phase of "I am woman hear me roar" and I can do it myself, I don't need no man to do anything for me.  I don't know why this phase happened, everyone around me was convinced that I would never have a boyfriend because of this.  I did have a boyfriend, but I can't say it was the most healthy relationship because of this.  I eventually learned that living in West Texas, you aren't going to find a true man that is actually going to let you open any door for yourself, so I got over it! (Why I decided to share that, I have no idea, I just felt it should happen). 

In other things that I know make me slightly weird, here is a list that I will expound on in later posts:

• I have a (what some may call irrational) fear of smelling.  I don't want to be "that" person!  As I said earlier, I will expound on this later, and I will also share with you my scale of smell (now your on the edge of your seat I know). 
• I have to have my movies alphabetized! 
• I won't finish the last of anything.
• I will find something wrong with pretty much anyone that I date--Just call me Charlie McKenzie!
• You start a movie after 8:30, I am going to fall asleep...that is a fact that has been proven time after time. 
• I tend to obsess over small things and not pay attention to big things until the very last second.

I know there are probably many more, but this will get to started and dangle a little bait out there for you for (at the rate I'm blogging) a good 6 months. 
Feel free to add comments that add to the list of things that make me weird...I will accept the things I can not change and work on those that I can. 

I'm so excited...I'm so scared...

If you are a child of the 80s/90s like myself then this clip will be all to familiar to you...


Minus the addiction to caffine pills, I kinda feel like Jesse Spano right now.  I have gotten a crazy idea in my brain to lead a women's Bible study for the women in the singles group at my church.  I am terribly excited about the idea of it and the study itself, but leading it kinda scares me. 
We have decided to do the study "No Other Gods" by Kelly Minter and this excites me beyond belief.  I am a fan of Kelly Minter and a fan of meeting with other women to study the word of God.  However, usually when these meetings occur I am the one that sits quietly off to the side and inputs my thoughts only when called upon.  We aren't starting the study until September so today I went and purchased the book.  I plan on going through it at least once before we actually do it as a group.  I feel it is going to be a challenging study in the lives of all of us involved and it is going to cause us to search our souls and confront the truth in alot of areas, but I am ready. 
Having said all that, if you think about it between now and September, say a little prayer for our group of women, that God would begin preparing our hearts for what He has for us in this study and and we would not just think of this as a time to get together with other women, but as a time to get together with other women and talk about the God that we serve. 

Ranger game observations...

My friends and I have been to about 9 Rangers games this season (yes, it is only the end of May-quit checking your calendars).  During the attendance at said Rangers games, my friends and I have stumbled upon some bits of information.  Now understand that when I say "stumbled upon" that simply means that our own minds have created these things...they may not (and probably aren't) based on any hard facts, just our reasoning skills at work.  These bits of information include:

• Mike Napoli may stink in real life.  This is based on the fact that at a game vs. the Phillies, he went up to bat in the top of the 2nd inning and his curly locks were WET!!!  They weren't just damp, but wet people.  They looked as if either A) he just got out of the shower--which isn't the truth as he was playing a baseball game or B) he has been playing an entire game in Miami or Texas in July or August.  Again, neither A or B were true as they were in Philadelphia in May and it was the beginning of the game.  Based on this information we I have decided that Mike Napoli may in fact emit an unpleasant odor in real life.  To any one that may be reading this an know Mike Napoli please let me know if this is a true statement or not.   Also, his song when he comes up to bat is "Blame it on the Alcohol"--this is not helping his case in my mind!
• Mitch Moreland is ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!  There are facts needed to back this statement up, just looking at him will tell you this.  Also, while on the topic of my boyfriend Rangers outfielder/infielder Mitch Moreland, let me say...Mitch, keep the scruffy look, it does you well my friend, it does you well!!!
• Apparently in Minnesota, when someone goes on the 15-day DL, 15 days is a suggestion.  My other boyfriend Twins catcher, Joe Mauer, has been on the 15-day DL since mid April.  Unless the Minnesotian (is that even a word??) calendar is different than mine, that my friends is longer than 15 days.  Just saying!  Also, since we are on the topic of Minnesota, I did find out that if I have my teacher certification through a university, I can take the certification tests in Minnesota and become a teacher there...just in case I needed to move there.  
• My friends and I have a favorite game to play at the ballpark that is totally unrelated to the actual baseball game itself.  Our favorite ballpark game is "How many beers has that guy had!?!?!"  I think the name of the game is kind of self explanatory so I won't go into details, but know that if you join us for a game you may be asked the question..."how many beers has that guy had!"
• For the record...this is not made up or based on other facts...this is a true statement!!!  I CAN'T STAND RANGER CAPTAIN OR THE "TEXAS HEROS" MASCOTS!  I could have put I hate that stupid horse (which is usually what I call Captain) and I can't stand Sam Houston, Davy Crockett or Jim Bowie.  But somehow I feel the last part of that statement may have cause folks to hunt me down, take away anything Texas I may own and sent me to another state.  So for the record I can't stand the mascots, the men themselves, while they each more than likely had their own flaws I am sure they also had some delightful traits. 

I am certain there are many more insights that have been gained by our attendance at the Rangers games this season, but as it is 9:20 a.m. on a Saturday and I have been up for a while, my brain is done.                         

something borrowed...

Last night I went with a few of my dear friends to see the new movie "Something Borrowed".  This movie is based off of the book "Something Borrowed" by Emily Giffin.  If you know me, I typically read the book before I watch the movie.  In this circumstance I didn't get the opportunity to read the book first so I had no idea what to expect of this movie.  All that I knew about it was that it included one of my favorite people ever...

This guy....

And let me say...he did not disappoint in this movie! 

When I first started watching the office 7 seasons ago, I fell in love with Jim!  I adore his personality!  And then after I saw John in anything else he seems to play the same role as he does on the office...which leads me to believe that that is how he is in real life.  Can I just say...I WANT ONE!!!

Is it the fact that John is from Boston?  Is it the fact that he is tall?  Is it the fact that he is so mellow and chill?  I don't know what it is ol' John, but I adore him! 

And while I am at it, let me go ahead and talk about another adoration of mine. 

This guy...

In case you are unaware of who this guy is, this is Joe Mauer, catcher for the Minnesota Twins.  He is also number 7.  There are so many reasons that I adore this guy, I can't even begin to list them.  I recently read an interview with his mom regarding his perfect woman.  http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/121292429.html
I could probably fill those shoes!  Just sayin'! 

 

there are two things I can't tolerate....

One of my co-workers once stated to her students "There are two things I can't tolerate:  foolishness and lactose!"  Needless to say, as soon as I heard those words come out of her mouth, I lost it.  I was laughing so hard it was out of control! 

WARNING:  The rest of this post is complaining (or $*@#&ing and moaning--that is for you Kandy)

I have come to realize that I also have two things I can't tolerate:  ungratefulness and laziness.  While they are not quite as entertaining as my co-workers, they are true.  Now let me explain...

Ungratefulness:  I can not stand when you do something for someone and they can't say as much as a nice "thank you" or all they can do is complain about what you did wrong.  If you know me, I am not one that is big on receiving a lot of praise for anything that I do.  If I do something for you, I don't want a big production, I don't want a big announcement about it, I just want a simple thank you.  If it is something that is done and you have not even made an attempt to do it, then don't complain about the way someone else has done it. 

Laziness:  Don't get me wrong, I have my fair share of times in which I don't want to do things, but if I know something needs to be done, by golly I am going to get it done!  I can't stand when folks are fully capable of doing things and just put forth no effort to do things!  I mean come on people, let's use some logic here...you have to do something, get it done and there there will be time to be lazy! 

Ok...I am done with my rants and raves for today.  Thanks for sticking with me! 

i have been blessed...

I have been blessed

And I feel like I've found my way
I thank God for all I've been given
At the end of every day
I have been blessed
With so much more than I deserve
To be here with the ones that love me
To love them so much it hurts
I have been blessed...

These are the lyrics to the chorus of Martina McBride's song "Blessed"

I can't think of any better way to describe my life right now. 

A year and a half ago, I made a decision in my life to change churches.  I had been attending the same church for about 5 years and without going into all the details, it was time for a change.  I began attending First Baptist Church Arlington and immediately felt at home.  Ove the year and a half that I have been there, I have made some great friends.  Friends that I can be myself with and not have to fear judgment.  Friends that love & accept me despite my flaws.  Friends that share my interests and have interests of their own.  Words can not express how blessed I am to have these people as a part of my life. 

I think the only thing that would make my life better at this point is if my (excuse the slide back to 7th grade for a second) "BFF" would move closer so that we don't have to drive an hour and a half to see each other. 

hug me like a mom would...

For those of you that know me, the title of this entry may seem a bit odd, but for those of you that don't know me, let me assure you the title of this is a bit odd.
Let me first clarify for everyone involved: I am not a big fan of hugging, being touched, etc. I don't know why this is, but I feel it has always been that way. And as luck would have it, I have an unusually large number of children this year that feel the need to hug me. There is one female student in particular that HAS to hug me EVERY time she sees me. Now don't get me wrong, I am not going to be that person that totally pushes you away if you try to hug me, I typically will hug you but not be overly excited about it or be very into it. Today this student gave me the customary (for her at least) "I am leaving class so I must hug you" hug. I did my customary thing and put one arm around her as she fully embraced me. But this time she said something that really struck a heart string. As she was full on hugging me she told me "Oh, come on Ms. Harris, just hug me like a mom would!". Clearly this student and probably several other of my students are just longing for someone to care about them, to love them, to hold them like a mom would and let them know everything is going to be alright. So as I write this, I am telling myself..."Come on Ms. Harris, just hug them like a mom would" it may be the only time they feel loved and accepted! I just need to step out of myself and do it!

What is something that you can do that will cause you to step out of your comfort zone but might just change the life of someone around you?

more than just words on a page...

So often we say words or read words and rarely give any thought to what they really mean.  I feel this is far more common in the realm of "Christianese" than in our everyday language. 
Take for example the phrase "Jesus is Lord".  We say it frequently, we put it on our cars in the form of bumper stickers, we wear it on our lapel pins, and some even carve it in stone and put it in their yard.  But do we really know what it means? 

Lord (as defined by dictionary.com) is a person who has authority, control, or power over others; a master, chief, or ruler; a person who exercises authority from property rights; an owner of land, houses, etc.; a person who is a leader or has great influence in a chosen profession: the great lords of banking.; a feudal superior; the proprietor of a manor.; a titled nobleman or peer; a person whose ordinary appellation contains by courtesy the title Lord or some higher title.

So is Jesus really Lord in your life?  Does he have authority, control, or power over you?  Do you say that he does, but when it comes time for him to actually exercise that control do you take it back and tell him "I can handle this"? 

At my church through the week we have been reading through Romans.  Last night I read Romans 6-7.  **Side note:  if you have never studied Romans I would suggest it...there is some amazing stuff in there that you miss if you aren't careful**  In the chapters it made mention of the word holy: 

"...so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness." (6:19)
"So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good." (7:12)

I was raised in church and if someone came up to me on the street and asked me to define holy, I don't know that I could.  So while reading, I decided to define it. 

Holy (as defined on dictionary.com) is specially recognized as or declared sacred by religious use or authority; consecrated: holy ground.; dedicated or devoted to the service of god, the church, or religion; saintly; godly; pious; devout; having a spiritually pure quality; entitled to worship or veneration as or as if sacred; religious; inspiring fear, awe, or grave distress

I have discovered that you can't simply take words and assume that you know what they mean.  You also can't go around using terms and not have a clue what they mean.  It just doesn't make sense, especially since we have such a wide array of resources avaliable. 

Don't just see the words as words on a page, learn them, use them, love them!

I resolve..

Here it is, the beginning of a new year. If you are anything like me, it snuck (is that a word) up on you! We are starting a new decade, so I have decided to actually make some resoultions this year...it just felt like the thing to do. So here are some:

1) Grow in my relationship with God. I feel as if over the past few years I have been making my relationship with God an after thought. It is time to make it a priority! This may mean that I need to really evaluate some people and things in my life, but I am up for it!

2) Don't be afraid of change! All of my life, I have had many constants and have never really had to deal with a lot of changes, but I feel this year in my life there are changes coming. I don't want to be afraid of them, but embrace them and realize that all things happen for a reason and that "He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20)

3) "Grow some ovaries" (I can't use this phrase without giving credit where credit is due, so thanks Kandy). Now I realize that some of you may be terribly concerned by this statement and feel that you don't know me at all, so before you go starting rumors, let me clarify! When Kandy and I lived together in college she would tell me to "grow some ovaries" when I needed to buck up and do something that I may not have wanted to do. She would tell me that because she felt it was pointless to tell another girl to grow some balls. So I say this as my 3rd resolution because I feel that too often I keep my feelings bottled up and then explode. I don't want to do that anymore. I want to "grow some ovaries" and be able to tell folks what I am thinking. This applies to so many areas of my life! 

I feel this is a good start for my resolutions, I will come up with a few others and post them later this week, so stay tuned!

i remember...

If you know me at all you are probably thinking why in the world is "I remember" the title of this post, because the next words should be "very little".  I know this about myself and am secure in the fact that I don't remember things unless I write them down.  So the other day I was laying in bed wide awake and decided to read my journal that I have had since 2000.  (side note: I clearly don't write in it often since I have had it since 2000 and it is not full).  It is amazing how things change in a span of 10 years and at the same time it is amazing how much things stay the same.  Here are some examples:

• Just 10 years ago I moved in with my dear friend Kandy for the summer and had no idea how much this would change my life!  There are so many memories from those short few months that we lived together, but so many of those memories pop up so very often.  I can honestly say she is one of my best friends and one of the people in the world that really knows me.  Who would have thought 10 years ago in the "crack stack" that a friendship would begin that would last a lifetime.  
• 10 years ago I was just finishing up the first semester of my junior year in college.  If you would have told me then that I would move to Arlington and teach 7th grade in Duncanville, I may have laughed at you.  Even though my major was secondary science education I really wanted to teach high school biology.  But you know, "His ways are higher than our ways and the path that He has laid is good and true". 
• 10 years ago my sister was in high school.  Now she is married and has a child.  
• 10 years ago I thought that once I graduated from college the logical order of things would be get a job, get married, have kids.  Boy has that changed.  Here we are 10 years later and I am not married nor do I have kids.  But I do have a job, which I am thankful for!  
• 10 years ago, I was living in some of the most ghetto joints with roommates, and now...I own a house and live alone.  However come March I will have a roommate and I would be lying if I said that i wasn't nervous about this matter.  I have lived alone for 7 and a half years...
• 10 years ago the Rangers had never won an AL pennant nor had they been to a World Series.  I can now say that they have done both and I was privileged enough to be able to experience Game 3 of the World Series! 

As I stated when I began this blog, I don't have the best of memory, so these are just a few of the tings that I can think of.  If you have other things that you would like to add feel free to comment, I would love to hear from you guys! 

The sweetest thing...

Holy cow!!!! I never thought I would say these words, but the Rangers are going to the WORLD SERIES!!!!

If you know me at all you know that I have been a Ranger fan for as long as I can remember. Every season they start out well and blow it after the all-star break or start playing after the all-star break, which is always just a day late and a dollar short. But this year is different. They started out the year with some controversy...Ron Washington doing drugs, had a little bankruptcy situation, a change in ownership, and several new additions to the roster. But clearly all those things added together made them stronger.

Now this post season they started out playing the Rays and won the first two games (I was unable to watch these two games because I was at work), they then lost two games to the Rays (which I watched) and then beat the Rays in the final game of the series (which I didn't watch). Are you seeing a pattern here? Long story short, I watched last night's game with hesitation, but I was so glad I did and was able to witness history! I was joined by a number of friends and boy did we celebrate when that last and final strike was called! There were some tears shed! I will say last night may have been one of the best nights of my life. That is until my wedding day and the birth of my future children, and of course the day the Rangers win the world series!