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!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
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.
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.
Friday, February 18, 2011
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?
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?
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
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!
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!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
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!
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!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
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!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
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!
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!
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