I washed my car today for the first time in a year.

Yes. I know. But seriously, what's the point of washing it, only to be driving down some old gravel or mud dirt road and making it filthy immediately following. Where's the sense in that? No sense. None at all if you ask me.

And now, because it is Thursday and because I shared that nugget of my life with you, I'm feeling like sharing the following composite of random and probably useless information with you.

1) I just put chicken in the oven to heat/reheat for dinner. It looked like wrinkled little pig skin. I don't think I want dinner now.
2) My hair is driving me nuts.
3) My computer keeps making 'dinging' noises at me signaling me to update this that or the other thing with their new flashy easy-peasy whatsits. It's kind of annoying.
4) This story was amazing and gave me goosebumps. I don't care if you're not a horse person. Read it.
5) I was almost run over and dragged off by a mule named Mary today. She was about 40 years old and blind as a dingbat. But run away she would. Towards the light. Always following the light.

The end...for now.

Having a Pity-Party for Myself & Only I'm Invited

I hate job hunting. I've been looking for work for over 6 months now and nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. I feel like it's taken me so much time and energy and money to get to where I am. It was scary to leave my secure job with its good pay and cushy hours and benefits and great bosses and leap into the huge void of "The Unknown". School was so tough, but so rewarding. Hours upon hours spent in the cold and rain, slogging in the mud and muck, staying up until all hours of the morning studying, clinging to cups of coffee like a drowning man's lifeline, getting slimed, pooped on, thrown off, kicked, stepped on. But I loved every minute of it. And now it's done. And I thought that was the hard part. Turned out I was wrong.

It's so very easy to get discouraged when you pour so much of yourself out and you can see God's hand orchestrating every move along the way to come to the end and feel like His hand has been removed. I mean - like- WHAT HAPPENED? What did I do wrong?

Hence the pity-party.  And now I'm done. *Straightens shoulders - lifts chin*

I didn't do anything wrong. I have to remember that. And I need to take to heart the words I keep hearing myself say to everybody else: "God is faithful."  So much for having a pity-party. Kinda hard if ya have to believe that right?

This dude...

Turned 14 today. :^)  One of the best guys I know.

His discipline in school, dedication to service and God's Word is encouraging and a mark of the man he is fast becoming. I'm so proud of him and blessed to call him my brother.

Service

As Christians, we have a specific Biblical mandate to serve one another. Some of us come by this naturally while others have to ‘work’ at it. I think I’m one of the people that comes more naturally to it. And yes, I realize how self-serving could sound, but hear me out. I’m a people person. I love to help. I don’t like to sit around idle watching others do things. I love to help the people I love. It’s not something I particularly struggle with (unless I’m in a sinfully grouchy mood – which is a completely different topic for another time.) There is one problem that comes with this mentality for me however. I don’t like being the one that is served. There. I said it. Why? The Best Answer I can give is not exactly very clear even to me but I’ll give it my best go.  I am a self-sufficient and independent person. I take pride in this.  “I can do it.” “I don’t need anyone.” “I don’t need help.” How many times have I said that to myself, I don’t know. But I do know that almost every time I’ve said it it’s been to my own detriment.  “You’re not the fourth person of the Trinity” is a saying my dad likes to say to me.  The root cause: pride. And it’s wrong. 

This kind of mentality disables other Christians from fulfilling their specific Biblical mandate to serve. There are people that love me and want to serve me. I need, rather, have to let them.  And I have to realize that being served is not a sign of weakness. It’s not a slam against my personal strength or abilities. It simply is obedience to the call God has placed on others to serve one another. 

I think in many ways I can understand Peter’s words when Jesus washed His disciples’ feet: “You shall never wash my feet!” Yet, Jesus wants to wash my feet and He uses His people to do it for Him. How then can I deny my Lord His service to me?


"Jesus, know that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?" 
Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this." 
Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" 
Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." 
Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" 
Jesus said to him, "He  who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean." 
So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, HE said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,  you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."
John 13:3-17 

Thought for the day

"Don't be someone else's slogan because you are poetry." 

Heard this recently in the movie "28 Days" - pretty good I thought. 

Jiggity-Jig

Home. Ah, how sweet that word is.

I finally got in about 1am this morning after 13+ hours of traveling including a 3 hour layover plus a 2 ½ hour delay, ticket agents who didn’t know what they were doing, and barely making the final connection. But – God is good.  I’m home. And my own bed has never felt so good before.

I am exhausted to say the least. Being this tired can make me somewhat confused, unfocused, punchy, snarky, uber goofy, emotional, and/or a combination of any of the above. Therefore, I apologize in advance for anything in this post that is not quite coherent.

If you saw my previous post, you’ll know my cousin and I drove to Nashville, TN via Lexington, KY.  After checking out of our hotel in Lexington, we took a slight detour that was very scenic.

I took a lot of photos of the landscape, including the rolling hills and white rail fences.  I won’t post them all because I know not everyone has the same affinity for white rail fences and green pastures.  

 Pregnant mamas 

We reached Nashville by the afternoon and took a tour of the Grand Ol Opry.  

Talk about cool! What started out as a insurance company's local broadcast in 1925 is now considered the home of America's music and the country music's most famous stage. It's hosted stars such as Minnie Pearl, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, Trace Adkins, Carrie Underwood and Blake Shelton. (If you don't know who any of those people are...do yourself a favor and find out.)  :^) 

The tour was pretty spectacular and I even got to stand on the very same 6 foot circle of wood flooring that all those above mentioned stars stood on and performed. Completely magical moment!

After our tour we headed to our hotel and got cleaned up for dinner and a night out on the town! Dinner was at the famous Loveless Cafe. The Loveless is basically a must-stop if you're in the Nashville vicinity. The place is famous across the nation for it's hospitality and food - and I can attest that the biscuits are the best I've ever eaten! (Sorry mom!) 

The rest of the evening was spent wandering up and down Broadway in downtown Nashville. There's a country song by Jason Aldean about the town that I used to hate until I visited the place. I could then see with my own eyes - how Crazy Town it really is! And so much fun! Laura and went from place to place to listen to the music, staying if we liked it, leaving if we didn't! 

Outside the Wildhorse Saloon

I even saw Elvis!

I've decided I want a southern accent. If for some reason I ever moved that way, I would get one. It would just happen. Oh darn.  And in case you're wondering - I do like the song now!

"There is something about the outside of a horse

...that is good for the inside of a man." Yes, Mr. Churchill, you were very correct. :^)  My cousin Laura and I headed out for Lexington KY this morning. We were at the Kentucky Horse Park pretty much all day, walking through the park seeing what there was to see, taking our own leisurely tour, petting horses, watching the shows. I warned her at the beginning that I was going to go all teeny-bopper goofy crazy on her when we got there. :^) That was ok with her. I've been to Kentucky before but not to the horse-park. I very clearly remember my very first visit to the Bluegrass state - I was 5 years old and we visited Spendthrift Farm. I think it was shortly after that (about 7 years old) that I decided to become a jockey....hehehe...yeah, that panned out really well for me at my now 5'9&something inches tall...

Anywho...it was a fantastic time.

yeah!

"Be-A-Bono" Quarter Horse Racing 2004 World Champion 

Parade of Breeds show 

I think I was born in the wrong state...*sigh*   

Galavantin'

Yesterday Gram and I hit the streets of Cincy to see what we could see. Of course, it had to rain, so we diverted our original plans of tall-building visiting, etc. Instead we went to the Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati. I'd never been and it was a fascinating and extremely sobering look at our country's history. I learned things I hadn't before. It was another of those moments for me where I realized that all the studying in the world and all the movies and all the replicas built will never be enough to make those of us who didn't live in those times understand what those who did, went through. I had a few such moments in Poland when visiting some of the WWII memorials. While I can't fully understand the experience of those involved in the Underground Railroad and all the turmoil that was involved, I can still be thankful for the life and gifts I have been given through God's grace.

Freedom Flame 

Gram and I did enjoy the museum and afterwards hit Skyline Chili for some lunch. If you haven't experienced a 5-way - I'm sorry for you.  Being that it was so late in the afternoon when we ate, I had a 5-way and a Coney-Dog. :^) And I was happy.  (The pic is a little blurry - I was using an unfamiliar camera)

 5-way = Spaghetti, Skyline Chili, Beans, Onions and CHEESE! 

Other photos I took - so gloomy out

PNC Bank Building 

Another cool tall building 

The John Roebling Bridge - prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge  

Over the bridge into Kentucky

Lately

For the past 2 weeks I have been in Cincinnati, OH helping my grandma (who I generally address as "gram") :^) clean out her house, have an estate sale and basically get her household stuff down to manageable size in the first steps of moving her out West. It has been no small task to wade through I-don't-know-how-many-years worth of stuff and help her scale down.
 My parents were out for the first part of the trip and have gone home. I'm just going to say that I have the most awesome parents!  God has really blessed me. Mom and I had (amidst the work) a lot of fun together sorting through stuff. And I will also say for the record that I have the coolest great-aunt in the world who works so tirelessly and pours out herself for us to make sure we were comfortable, fed and had laundry done. Oh, and not forgetting my favorite great-uncle, who I do believe is the most patient man in the world I have met. Ever. 
And Gram has been great too - it's a big step to have to face a lifetime of your things and decide what can stay and what needs to go. It takes a lot of courage to make a big step like this and I'm so proud of her for doing it. 
Sorting through the pictures and the Christmas and the jewelry and everything made me think of the passage from Matthew 6: 19-21 : Do not lay up for yourselves treasures in on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where  your treasure is, there your heart will be also." 
How easy it is to look at someone else's mess and judge their issues, but I feel God has used this time to remind me where my treasure is and how much to I store up the worldly goods - be they concrete or abstract- and ignore where my heart should be.

It's me...again...

Hello there, thanks for stopping by!  Welcome to my new and improved spot on the web! It's really nothing new in the vast field of bloggology, but it could be interesting. And then again, it could sputter and disintegrate into that pathetic landfill of neglected and unread blogs. We'll see. I'm ever the optimist.

Do you ever hate filling out those "about me" sections online? I do. I never know what to say in 1200 characters or less...it's a genetic issue I'm sure. :^) I started this new blog to tell my story. Thoughts on life, stuff I love. I like other people's stories (probably why I enjoy reading blogs...) And I like my story. Ok, so I don't like every single aspect of it, but it's still mine. It's full of people, places and just stuff! :^) And this is where I'm going to put it!

Things I love #1: Blue Jeans and boots - particularly my own - who cares about a little dirt!