The Grinch

I really don't like Christmas. To be honest it stresses me out. I took Gary Chapman's Five Love Languages test, and giving gifts was barely even on my list. Bummer.

The fact that I tend to procrastinate also plays a role in my dilemma. When it's somebody's birthday, I usually wait until the last minute unless I know of something that they would really like. People are way too humble though, and say crap like, "You don't have to get me anything."

Howeva, I like to celebrate birthdays. I like to buy things for my friends and family. I just don't know what to get. Help a sista out. I even sent out an email to my fam, asking for a wish list just to get some ideas. Do you know how many responded? Zero, zilch, not one.

At the moment, I have purchased 1 gift. Yeah, I know. 15 more days. Meanwhile, my face is breaking out, I'm having trouble sleeping at night, and the thought of giftcards is looking more appealing as the days roll on.

So whaddaya think? Is the "gift of choice" really of gift? Does it count? I, for one, love giftcards. Jesus said, "If you love me, you'll obey my commands." I say, "If you love me, you'll accept my giftcards." Any thoughts?

Harry Potter & Jesus

I just finished reading the 7th Harry Potter book, and was reminded of a scene from the 3rd book/movie. This is my favorite clip. Let me set it up for you.

Harry and Hermione have traveled back in time to help their friend Sirius. (kinda like Back to the Future, sorry I get distracted easily) They are on the banks of the river, watching Harry and Sirius being attacked by these evil things called dementors. The future Harry believes his dad will save them. He stands there waiting. But when his dad doesn't come, Harry realizes that he is the one who is supposed to save them.

Sometimes, I think like Harry. I believe that someone else will do it. Someone else will show compassion. Someone else will pick up. Someone else will feed the hungry. Someone else will tell that person about Christ. When all along God has equipped me to do the work. I have the tools, but it just takes stepping out in faith.

Poker Night

So, last Tuesday my guy friend calls me up and tells me that they need a few people for poker night. This is, traditionally, a men's only group, but they were going to make an exception for the evening since they were desperate for players. I warned them in advance of my skillz (yeah, I spelled it with a z cuz I'm gangsta like that). They just laughed and told me to bring my money.

I hadn't really played with chips before, but watching WPT and ESPN really paid off. No one raised before the flop, so I could play hands that normally would've been trashed. I had a 4 of clubs and 7 of hearts when I got a straight flush. That's right, a straight stinkin' flush. I almost crapped my pants right there. Everyone else thought they had a good hand, so they started betting. It was awesome. When I revealed my hand, jaws dropped. It was priceless. After 5 hours of playing, I finally took home the money. I doubt I'll ever be invited back, but at least I have the memories...and the cash. Sorry boys!

Awww, Mem'ries (Part 4)

The Why

Once I arrived back home, I started to process what had happened. A wave of emotions hit me as I sat propped up in bed. I was angry, disappointed, and bitter. But buried deep down inside, I knew God had a reason for doing this.

When I was a junior in high school, I decided that I wanted to become a Supreme Court justice. The money and power seemed incredibly enticing to me. At 17 years old, I planned out my whole future career. In college I would major in Elementary Education (an easy major and also a fall-back if law school didn’t work out), then go to Yale Law School, then take over the world. I had planned on preparing for law school as soon as a graduated.

Breaking my knee pretty much interrupted my schedule and my plans. During my time in Costa Rica I felt God nudging me about becoming a teacher. I shook it off. “God, there’s no money in teaching. I’ll never really use this degree. It’s just a stepping stone,” I explained. But God continued to push. Finally, I told him, “I know that teaching is what You want me to do, but that’s not going to happen. I’m gonna do what I want.” So on Thanksgiving Day on the last day of school, God broke me. (Coincidence? No, I’m pretty sure He planned that out.) Physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually I was broken before Him. “Are you ready to listen?” He asked. God had my attention.


After graduation, instead of studying for the LSAT and mailing applications for law school, I was relearning how to bend my knee, one millimeter at a time. One day I was flipping through radio stations during my therapy and found K-Love. I set it as my alarm so that every day I would wake up to their music. The songs seemed to speak directly to me. There were some days when I would lay in bed for hours and cry because I knew God was drawing me closer. My relationship with Him, which had been stagnant for the past few years, grew stronger and stronger. And my knee grew healthier and bendy-er. By the end of the road to recovery, I was closer to God than ever before. I only wish it hadn’t taken a broken kneecap to get me there. But sometimes we have to learn the hard way. God, not my will, but Yours be done.

Awww, Mem'ries (Part 3)

When we arrived back at the house, I finally got to have my Diet Coke and chicken salad sandwich after 2 hours. Cindy was still upset, so I did my best to comfort her even though I was the one in the cast. Tracy (my other friend who taught with us at school) came over and spent the night because I was leaving early the next morning. The three of us had been through so much together during our time in Costa Rica that it seemed fitting that we should stay together till the end. We ordered pizza and watched Survivor with Spanish subtitles at the bottom of the screen.

The next morning I said my goodbyes, and Monica drove me to the airport. They had a wheelchair waiting for me. My pain pills were strapped to a pouch hanging around my neck. No questions were asked. No lines. No full-body searches. I got to be at the front of the line on each flight. They couldn’t seat me in first class, but they gave me the seat right behind there because it has slightly more leg room. I grabbed on to the first class armchair rests nearest the aisles and swung my way back to my seat. The flight from Costa Rica to Houston was not ideal. I was in the middle seat, between two very large beautiful black women. When they asked for seatbelt extenders, I knew I was in trouble. I used my backpack to prop my leg up, took a deep breath, and prayed that the 4 hour flight would only take 2 hours instead.


The flight from Houston to Oklahoma City was not too shabby. Everyone was very nice. The man who sat beside me asked what happened. He was a former NFL player, with a few bricks shy… So I told him I was surfing in the ocean when I noticed a drowning child in the water. As I got to the child, a shark swam up so I paddled as hard as I could. We got away, but not before a huge tsunami wave knocked us off the board, and I slammed my knee against the coral reef while still protecting the kid. Yeah, that was my story. The poor guy actually believed me. That was priceless.

My parents met me at the airport. All I wanted was to eat at Chili’s and have unlimited refills of Diet Coke (Yes, I have an addiction. I’m working on it.) My parents had different ideas though. Because of the miscommunication between my teacher and my mom, my parents wanted to take me straight to the hospital. “My leg’s not going anywhere. It's not like it can get more broken,” I protested, still not realizing that they’re picturing open wounds of horror beneath the cast. Guess who got their way. So we went to the hospital. They took more x-rays and showed them to us. The docs called it a “monkey x-ray” because it was so obvious it was broken that a monkey could tell you. The next day I got eat at Chili’s.

Awww, Mem'ries (Part 2)

While we waited for the ambulance, my roommate played photographer. She had finally stopped crying and was now moving all around me trying to get the best angle. (I hadn’t cried yet. Adrenaline is a blissful thing.) It was at this point that I noticed my right fist was still clenched. When I had first fallen I subconsciously tightened my hand as if to send all of the pain and feeling there instead of my knee. The ambulance driver arrived and blurted something in Spanish to me. I looked to my teacher, Monica, for translation, and she said he was going to straighten my leg out so he could put me on the stretcher. Oh boy, I thought. I squeezed my fist even harder, anticipating the pain to shoot into my knee. Nothing. Not a thing. I looked down, and my leg looked normal again. For a millisecond, I almost believed I was healed. Then I was loaded onto the stretcher. When the ambulance doors opened, I expected to see medical supplies and IVs and such. It was empty. The only purpose of the ambulance was to transport me from there to the hospital. Thank God I didn’t have a life-threatening injury! Sheesh!

We sped to the hospital while Monica followed behind. They hurried me in and took several x-rays. It was at that moment that the adrenaline shut off. As the Costa Rican x-ray tech bent my leg in all sorts of awkward and demented ways, I held my tongue (even though I was mentally cursing and chewing him out in Espanol.) While I was being tortured, I mean, x-rayed, Monica called my parents and told them what happened. Unfortunately, her English translation was not perfect. My mom asked her if it was a compound fracture. Monica thought she meant a multiple fracture. So my parents were thinking about bloody bones sticking out of my leg, when it was not nearly that gruesome. After the x-rays, the doctor concluded that I had a broken kneecap. Brilliant job guys! They put a cast on my leg, but as they were doing it the lights kept flickering on and off. Again, I was grateful that they weren’t operating on me. When they finished, I called my mom. It wasn’t until I heard her voice that I began to cry. Moms have a funny way of making you do that, huh? She told me they were getting a plane ticket so I could fly home the next day. I assured her that I was ok, but I’m pretty certain she was freaking out inside.

The doctor said I could leave, so I waited on a stretcher out in the hallway while Monica went to take care of the bill and pull the car around. As I laid there, patients or family of patients walked up to me and gawked. And I’m not talking about casually looking over. They were rubber-necking! Some came by, shook their heads, and sighed, “Pobre chinita” which means poor little Chinese girl. I was not amused in the least. After about the 8th person said it, I wanted to scream out “I’m not from China!” But I kept my cool long enough for Monica to pull up.

Awww, Mem'ries (Part 1)

Tomorrow marks the 4th year anniversary of God breaking me...physically breaking me. Most people know the quick story about what happened. Few know the entire story. Sometimes it takes so long to tell it, I figure I could just write it out. Then when someone asks, I can say, “Please refer to my blog posting on November 24, 2008.” Ok, here we go.

The What

I was doing my student teaching in Costa Rica. Yeah, I know. It was A-Maze-Zing! November 25, 2004 was Thanksgiving Day in the US. It also happened to be the last day of classes for my students aka the beginning of 2 blissful weeks of vacation before going back home. I had just learned how to surf the weekend before and was looking forward to spending those 2 weeks on a surfboard in the middle of paradise.

School ended early, so my mentor teacher, my roommate, and I headed home. When we arrived, I was starving! All I wanted was a Diet Coke and a chicken salad sandwich. Mmm, I could already taste it. I started walking toward the kitchen when SNAP! BOOM! My butt was on the ground, and I didn’t know how it got there. When I looked down, (Get ready! This is not for the faint of heart!) my knee was in a different location than it was 0.5 seconds ago. There was no blood, but my kneecap was an inch higher, awkwardly pressing against the skin and flesh that kept it held together. “OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!” I yelled in disbelief. God please put it back in, I thought. The pain was gone, but the freaking out was not. My roommate rounded the corner. “OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!” she yelled. In my head I was thinking, this probably would’ve been funny if hadn’t been real. About that time my teacher came down the hallway. “Holy Shoot!” she yelled. (We’re a religious bunch, you can tell.) Quickly, she got on the phone and called an ambulance. While we were waiting, my roommate was still freaking out. So I sent her on errands to get my passport, medical card, and my camera. That’s right! I had to document the worst injury I’ve ever received. Maybe I’ll post it if I get enough requests. =)

Ok, I'm tired. Tomorrow, we'll pick up where we left off.

I Don't Trust People

It started when I was in 4th grade. My best friend moved, and I was devastated. From there, the cycle continued. Some of my friends in junior high were not the best people to hang out with. I was following them down a path of hopelessness when Jesus Christ took hold of me. I was forever changed, and suddenly I realized that those I had surrounded myself with were pulling me down into a life of sin. I had to cut ties, and it broke my heart. However, I knew it was the right thing to do. High school brought many wonderful memories. I had several friends, but kept them at a distance. I was so afraid that if they saw the real me, I would be rejected. Then we went our separate ways to different colleges and states.

During my junior year at OSU, I met Andrea. For the first time since 4th grade, I felt like I had a best friend. But in the back of my mind, I wondered if it would last after graduation. On graduation day, I received my diploma in a wheelchair. I had broken my knee, and would spend the next 3 months learning how to bend my leg and walk again. Andrea lived 2 hours away, and I didn't really expect to see her much after graduation. But she surprised me. Every few weeks, she came to the city to hang out with me. Me! Broken, cranky, lil o' me. She called me just to see how I was doing. Although she might not have realized it, she gave me hope. She redefined the meaning of the word friend. And for that, I'm eternally grateful. I would give her my left kidney if she needed it.

In my hardened heart, I really deep-down, do not trust people. I trust my family and Andrea, but that's about it. I have been let down time after time. I still have the wounds of rejection, not being good enough, pretty enough, funny enough, or smart enough. But God is doing a work in me. He promises, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." He loves me exactly as I am. And each day I'm learning to trust Him more and more.

I've Never...

This is my first time to vote in a presidential election. First time ever!! Last time I was in Costa Rica during the election. The time before that, I was 2 months too young to vote. Sooo, this is kind of a big deal to me.

4 years ago I was living in Costa Rica. The whole country was pretty much anti-Bush, anti-war, anti-America. It seemed like their country was just as interested in the election as our people were. However, their country was completely one-sided. I don’t think you could find 1 Bush-supporter out of the whole bunch. The family that I stayed with questioned me about my beliefs on politics and repeatedly mumbled, “Mucha guerra” meaning “Too much war.” I learned real quick that I was going to have to stand up for my convictions or continue to be nagged at.

On the night of the election, my fellow Americans (the other 2 girls from my school) and I went to a local bar and grill to watch. Anxiously, we waited for the results. After hours and hours of waiting, finally the news anchor declared, “Bush gano!” which means, “Bush won!” The next day at school, I didn’t hear another word about it. I felt so proud. Proud to live in a country where people have freedom. Freedom to say what they want, believe what they want, and live how they want. The song “God Bless the USA” was going off in my head. “Cuz the flag still stands for freedom, and they can’t take that awaaay-aaay!”

So no matter which side you’re on, remember that brave men and women fought for your right to vote. So get educated, get off the couch, and go cast your ballot.

2 Days, 18 Hours, 44 Minutes...

Since I drank my last Diet Coke. I'm off the stuff until Christmas. If you know me at all, Diet Coke has been part of my life...a big part of my life. Actually, it's probably attached itself to my DNA by now. I've always given credit to DC and Jesus for my 50 pound weight loss. But lately, I've felt like God wants total credit. Diet Coke's been a crutch. I go to it when I'm stressed, hungry, tired, angry, confused, etc. So for next 53 days, I'm taking it to God instead. Can't wait to see what happens during this time!

Broken

9-14-06

I'm so broken now
Sorrow overwhelms my soul
When I close my eyes, I choke back tears
Before I lose control
I am desperately seeking
Shelter from this storm
All this pain I'm feeling
I can't bear alone

Chorus
If you would hold me forever
If you would love me for all time
Maybe I could get through this day
One breath, one breath at a time

When the world steps out
And I have nothing left within
I fall to my knees and pray that you
Would renew my strength again
I am desperately seeking
Shelter from this storm
All this pain I'm feeling
I need you to come

Chorus

And if I would get past my selfishness
If I would lay down my pride
Maybe I would find that your grace
Is enough, it's enough for my life.

Cash Flow is Backed Up

Last weekend my plumbing went out. This week my heater died. So I'm looking over my budget for this month, trying to decide what I could cut out. Not to mention Christmas is quickly approaching...ugh!

Anyway, back to the problem at hand. Here's what my thinking process looked like:
~I could go without cable, but my sanity might take a dive.
~I don't really need to eat everyday...
~I could volunteer at LC and live off pizza for part of the week.
~Well, there's always my tithe. What??? (Flick the little satan sitting on my shoulder!)
~If the other bathroom was working, I could get a roommate...

~Internet...come on now, you're being ridiculous.

~Sell the car? Nah!
~How much can I get for one of my organs?

I still have no idea what I'm going to do. If money was or is tight, what would you do?

Extreme Surfing

What was this guy thinking???

"No."

It's a hard word to say. I've said it more times in the past month than I have in...wow, I don't remember saying no that much. I've been reading the book Boundaries. It confirmed what I already knew...I'm a people-pleaser. I hate letting others down. Saying no makes me feel selfish because the Bible tells us to "die to self," right?

One verse that the book mentions has really spoken to me though. Jesus says, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice..." To me, it means to serve others because you are passionate, not because you have to, not because others will think less of you if you don't, not because you need to feed your own ego. We serve out of the gratefulness and abundance that God has provided.

This relevation has truly impacted my life. I'm no longer tied down to good things, so that I can be free to grab the great things that God has set before me. Saying no is becoming easier every time I do it. No more excuses or apologies, just a simple no will do.

Pretend Like You're Interested

Mmmmm, I had an amazing weekend! Friday after school, I went to the driving range. There's nothing like knocking the crap out of a tiny ball with a metal stick! On Saturday I got to sleep in till 11, then had lunch with the fam. Afterwards, my dad and I went to The Home Depot (yes, you have to put the word The in front of it). Then we cleaned out my weed garden. It now can be described as a flower garden...with mulch and everything. =) I'm no longer ashamed to have my friends walk up the sidewalk to my front door. Plus, they can actually walk up without being attacked by the killer rosebushes! I still have some battle wounds from trimming those suckers.
Saturday we played a little Rockband after church. On Sunday I had a meeting at 8:30am! Ugh, I don't do mornings! But I went directly to bed when I got home. I picked up my house that afternoon. Then my friends came over for a fantastic grading party, complete with fresh-baked cookies and OSU oreos! Just a sidenote for all you graders, YOU ARE FREAKIN' AWESOME! I LOVE AND APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU! Mmwah!

I can't wait until the next weekend! Only 4 days away!

Free Dinner

Whenever I see the word free, I tend to look closely. Now that I have your attention...
My friends and I went to eat at Chili's. When we got ready to pay, the waiter took forever getting us our check. I was growing impatient when he finally strolled up to the table. "Someone already took care of your ticket," he grinned. I stared at him to see if he was joking. He was completely serious. I scanned the room searching for the person who had just purchased my Diet Coke and burger. No one looked familiar. My friends didn't recognize anyone either.

Just a random act of kindness? Someone from church? Someone who knew one of us? The suspense is still killing me. So if you happen to be reading this, Mystery Buyer, thank you. I hope God blesses you as you bless others.

And to anyone else who would like to buy my dinner, I'll be more than happy to pray for blessings in your life as well. Aww, heck, I'll pray for you even if you don't buy my dinner.

Back to School

My new kiddos came to school on Tuesday. Their sweet innocent faces entered the room timidly. The first day they were fairly quiet. By the end of the week, though, they seem to know everyone. And they want to talk All the time. So I have to be Stern Teacher. It's not my favorite personality, but necessary for setting the tone for the rest of the year. Later, I can become Awesome-Fun Teacher. I like that one better.

On the first day my students wrote down a "special event." One girl wrote that God had answered her prayers because she wanted to have me for a teacher. Today she was in tears and told me I was mean. Just goes to show you, be careful what you pray for...you just might get it.

No Child Left Untested

You know the test that us public ed teachers spend January-April preparing the kids for? The test for No Child Left Behind? The reason for my sleeplessness and cranky bouts? We finally got the results back.

Week after week, we practiced, reviewed, practiced more, and reviewed more. I prayed over my students, especially those who were having difficulty. Sometimes I even laid hands on their precious little heads. "Miss Ford, what are you doing?" some would ask. Shh, I'm praying for you to have supernatural wisdom, I would think to myself.

Well the praying paid off! All of my kiddos scored satisfactory on the test. Did I say ALL of them? Yes, even the ones who didn't seem to be paying a bit of attention. And who says you can't pray in school?

How???

I didn't think it was possible. When I received the gift from one of my students, I thought that this would be the ONE thing that even I could keep alive. Sadly, I found my cactus plant with third degree burns, barely clinging to life. Normally I had kept the plant indoors. However, when I bought a new patio table and chairs I relocated it. Big mistake! I imagined my darling little plant sunning itself on top of the new table. Giving it water (for the week) I thought the cactus was hardy enough that it could take the summer heat. Apparently it could not withstand the 107 degree weather. Now it's fighting for its life in the ICU next to the kitchen sink. I'm hoping this baby makes it. Cuz if not, I'll be wanted for plant murder. (Not my first offense either.)

God Moments (Part 1)

The first time I realized, without a doubt, God is real, I was on a mission trip to Mexico. My brother Justin was taking some people from his church to witness to a small Mexican village called Aldama. He asked me if I wanted to go, and I agreed. However, as the trip grew closer, my finances were dwindling. Because of the lack of money, I wouldn’t be able to go on the trip. Incredibly, Justin called me before I could tell him the sad news. He was calling to tell me that an anonymous donor wanted to pay for my trip. This was quite possibly the most generous gift I had ever been given.

So I humbly accepted and went on the trip. During our time there, I could sense the presence of God…but that wasn’t the kicker. One night the group was sitting around talking about the day and thoughts or ideas they could take back to their church. I was especially tired. I didn’t attend my brother’s church, so it didn’t make much difference to me what they were talking about. One man, Ken, was upset by some of the church members. “We need to tell them that they need to do this and that …” He continued on for a few minutes. I felt lightheaded for a second, and that’s when it happened.

The Holy Spirit began talking through me! My lips were moving. My vocal cords were producing sound. But I was not in control of it! “God, what is happening?” I thought as words continued to come out of my mouth. I can only compare it to being hypnotized. It was like sitting there watching yourself, when you can’t control your own actions.

After I stopped talking, my senses came back to me. Everyone was silent and staring at me. And I realized what I had just said. Not word for word, but the general idea was this: “Words mean very little. You need to show it in your actions. Be an example to others. ” Ken had tears begin to form in his eyes. “You’re right,” he said.

The next day Ken told Justin to tell me that my words had changed his life. I sat there speechless because it wasn’t my words, but the Holy Spirit speaking through me. He also told me that Ken was the anonymous donor that paid for the trip. Again, I was dumbfounded. God had used him to bless me, so that I could bless him back. That’s a full-circle blessing!

Song Pieces

All that I am
And all that I'll be
Is here in Your hands
Your Spirit inside of me.

And all that I have
I offer it up to you
As a pleasing and holy sacrifice
To the One who gives life.

Blessings

On Friday night, I went to the movies with my friend D. She bought the tickets early, so I told her I would pay her back. Then I forgot... Fast forward to Sunday, I saw D at church. Stealthily, I crept up behind her and dropped the money right inside her shirt collar. Then I raced out of the auditorium. I slowed to a stop to catch my breath. In about a millisecond, D rounded the corner (dang, she's fast!) and I took off again. Like a pair of 2nd graders, she chased me back into the auditorium. I tried to dodge her by going through one of the aisles. I could already picture the brilliant stiff-arm and zig-zag pattern I was about to perfect. However, my feet could not keep up. I wiped out and did a baseball slide into one of the chairs. Ouch. Then, to top it off (literally), D jumped on top of me. Ouch again. I don't remember any verse in the Bible saying that your blessings will hunt you down and tackle you. Maybe she has a different translation though.

Camp WOWzer

Well, I'm back in town. Camp was such a blast! However, I think it'll take a few days for me to recover from the madness. Here are a few of the highlights:

~We were on a team called the Black Squad. Our cheer went something like this, "B-L-A-C-K! You know black is the only way! Once you go black you never go back!" Yeah, the boys made it up. 'Nuf said.

~I managed to stay out of the nasty lake.

~Our boat was flippin' amazing! It was unsinkable...or at least it would sink, then pop back up out of the water. Great job Kody!

~Worship was ridiculous. Thanks Stephen and Brandon!

~I got hit on by a 17-year-old during 80s prom night. Sorry kid, that's illegal. And I'm too pretty to go to jail...

~We had awesome discussions!

~No one snuck out of the cabin thanks for my booby trap planted in front of the door. It consisted of walmart sacks with a trashbag laying over the top (so I would wake up if someone stepped on it or tried to move it). Brilliant...yes I know.

~Black Squad won first place and the Camp Champs title.

~I lost my cell phone on the second day. The Rent-A-Center in McAlister called today. They found it in the cushion of the recliner that was in the Leader Lounge.

~Most of all, you could feel the presence of God moving in that place. Mmm, God is so good!

Gone Fishin'

My parents and I took my 2 nieces and 2 nephews fishing. It was quite an adventure! My dad's friend owns some land in Meeker, so we drove out there Tuesday afternoon and stayed until Wednesday afternoon. This is what went down:

Tuesday my car was in the shop getting the hail dents removed from its glorious hood. Therefore, I was stuck driving the mom-mobile (my mom's white Buick Terraza). I had to pick up Jorden and Jackson, my older brother's offspring. I pulled up in the drive, loaded up the kids in their carseats and took off. Next, I picked up Makenzie and Josh, my oldest brother's offspring. I wasn't feeling especially glamorous with 4 kids in a Terraza with the windows vibrating due to the loud music as we jammed out to "Rawkfist." However, a couple air force guys pulled up and checked me out...in the mom-mobile! I must be hott stuff.

My parents met up with us and we headed for the fishin' hole. The property had a nicely air-conditioned cabin, however, the restroom was slightly lacking. Ok, it was a hole in the ground, with a man-made throne topped with a toilet seat, surrounded by a small tent. Not even kidding. Somehow, I think my bladder automatically recognizes the situation and refuses to "have to go." During the whole trip, I visited the tent once. That's all I have to say about that. Jorden had to go the bathroom shortly after we arrived. We told her to drop the toilet paper down the hole when she was finished. So she did...the whole roll. Luckily we packed a few other rolls!

So now to the fishing! After unpacking and making our beds, we drove down to the pond. Our bait of choice was a can of corn. Never done it before, but we baited the hooks with 2 pieces of corn at a time. The fish latched on like they hadn't eaten all week! Josh casted out into the pond, and shortly the cork sunk down. He jerked the rod up and began reeling as hard and fast as his little hands could. I tried to grab the line to help him pull the fish up out of the water. We had the monster fish up to the banks when he wriggled free of the hook. It was a catfish that was about 1 1/2 feet long! It was a big 'un! Too bad he got away. Later, Josh caught a perch that was about a foot long, the longest catch of the trip. I took a pic while holding it up as Josh stood in the background. The fish looks huge next to him because of the angle. It's awesome, and he thinks it really was that big. =)

I forgot how much I enjoyed getting out in the wilderness, away from everyday life. What do your getaways look like?

Wrecked & Broken

I was driving up I-35 from a friend's house, radio blaring and AC cranked up to keep me awake and alert. As I drove, I was thinking how few cars there were on the road. Many going the opposite direction, but I didn't pass a single car until right before the I-40 onramp. Red lights narrowed the 4 lanes down to 1. When I saw the police cars, I first thought they were doing car searches. I slowed down and began to process what was going on. An officer motioned for me to continue on. As I drove, my eyes swelled with tears when I saw what was left of this white car. The paramedics were working desperately to get inside the vehicle. My heart was pounding as I started to pray. Did the person or the people inside know Jesus? Did they have a relationship with their Creator? Where would they go if they died tonight? The lump in my throat tightened with each thought.

I have been reading the book 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper. It's about a man who was in a terrible car accident and was pronounced dead. He believes that he experienced Heaven. I started reading the book myself to decide if this guy was a quack or if there was truth to his story. From my perspective, I believe that he fully and honestly believes he went to Heaven. With that said, here's a remarkable passage from the book where his friend is talking to him.

If you saw a little kid run out in the street, you'd dash out there and try to save the child's life. Human nature is like that. We try to preserve life, and I will do that any time I get the opportunity. So would you...Yet here we are sitting in this place, surrounded by people, many of whom are probably lost and going to hell, and we won't say a word about how they can have eternal life. Something is wrong with us.

We're not guaranteed tomorrow. Car accidents have a way of making me realize that fact. If you're still on this earth, God has a reason for your life. Gradually, He's pulling me out of my comfort zone. My flesh fights back as He gently but firmly guides me. God is putting things on my heart that, honestly, I'd rather He find someone else to do it.

There are so many people out there in the world who are starving for Jesus. They don't know Him, but they sense that something's missing. It may be the person at work, or the Sonic carhop, or the ad exec in the fancy Beemer. Who is it in your life? Who is the person, that if they died tonight, would not know God? But more importantly, what are you going to do about it?

Parties & Roofs & TV, oh my!

So Friday I'm supposed to be throwing a bachelorette party around 7pm. I was out running some errands that afternoon. When I arrived back at the house at 3, the roof was completely torn off! I had no idea the roofers were coming that day! I figured since they hadn't shown up by noon, they weren't coming. That's what happens when you assume! So all the workers were chilled out on my front porch (one of them in my rocking chair). I walked up and asked with my best Spanish speaking abilities, "When are you going to finish tonight?" The guy in charge replied casually, "Nine-o'clock."

Nine!!! What!?! Are you kidding me? My mind was racing at that point. I felt the rage boiling up inside of me! I'm a schoolteacher! I'm slighty OCD! This was not on my itinerary! Quickly, I turned and walked back to my car before I blurted out any inappropriate Spanish words at them, especially the one in my rocking chair.

Once I got in the car and screamed for a few seconds, then I called my mom. Luckily, my parents were going out of town this weekend, so they agreed to let me move the party to their house. I called to let everyone know the party was moving, loaded up the groceries, gifts, etc. and took them over there. Everything worked out fine. It just didn't seem fine at the time.
Daily, I have to remind myself that God is in control and I am not.

Saturday, they finished roofing my house about noon. After they had left, I noticed my electricity wasn't working in the den. 87% of my time is spent in the den. I ran outside and flipped the switch in the breaker box. Nothing. "God, I fasted from TV on Tuesday!" I pleaded as I flipped more switches. Still nothing. "I want you to spend more time with me," He whispered.
Gee whiz, He is a jealous God.

Have any of those moments to share when you overreacted to something or thought, "God, did you just...?"

A Fast Fast

So, Lifechurch is fasting every Tuesday during the OnePrayer series. If you haven't checked it out yet, you should have your fingers stapled together. j/k
Anywho, I was thinking about what to fast when one of those Holy Spirit-God whispers said, "Why don't you give up TV?" I thought to myself, "God, you're crazy! What am I gonna do all day??? How about I give up doing laundry or exercise?" At that point, I could almost picture God giving me one of those disapproving looks. It was pretty clear what I was supposed to do, and from previous experiences I had learned not to make God wait.
So today I went TVless. No Rachel Ray, Days of our Lives, Dr. Phil, Reba, Wheel, nothing. And you know what happened? I spent more time with God, I got a lot of stuff done, and I didn't really even miss the TV. Most of the time, our lives are filled with things that aren't necessarily bad, but they aren't really productive. What is it for you?

A Whole Lotta Nuttin'

It seems I have a bad case of verbal diarrhea at 1:30am. So here's what's on my mind. (Hey, I just used 2 contractions back-to-back!) Sorry. Anyway, I've decided that every day I'm going to find at least one funny thing to laugh about when I start feeling cranky. There was a bird sitting on the fence, when all of a sudden...the wind knocked him off balance. So it wasn't the most hilarious of things, but it made me smile. Thank you clumsy birdie!
And here goes with a bunch of random thoughts I had today...Playing guitar is a lot harder than playing Rockband. We should make fuel out of peanuts. (Santa Fe and Logans are full of 'em). Every time I wash my car it sprinkles, because some jerk turns his sprinklers on so they spray the street! How many Go Green recycle bags are going to be wasted cuz they are everywhere? Bleeding Love is on every radio channel in my car. The word ridiculousness is ridiculous. Why does pulling someone's finger make them fart? It just makes my knuckle pop. I always feel like cleaning, writing, or reading after midnight. But I don't want to do a darn thing during the day.