Legal

As I picked up my little jello cup at the end of my lunch today I noticed what it said on the top: "Happy is still legal in all 50 states." It made me smile but then it made me think (definitely more than I would have anticipated from my sweet meal closer). Happy is legal in that there are no laws against it, no government mandates that forbid us from enjoying our days to the fullest.

However, it made me wonder, would we really be changed if it were made illegal? Do we really choose happiness often enough that we would be traumatized if it were not allowed? Of course we can all say that it would be horrific, that of course it would change us. Really though, how often do we choose to be happy instead of frustrated or angry or annoyed or sad?

It made me think just a little bit about how happiness is legal but more than any law, it's my own option whether I will be happy in the midst of my days. There is a blessing of living in a land where there is freedom of all sorts but if I don't exercise that freedom then it ceases to have much meaning.

So I guess this is a random post but it was a good reminder for me today that being happy is fully allowed and that I need to choose it so that it can fill my days and overflow to those around me! For there really always is so very much to be happy about!

Slow

This has been a slow blogging year. I find that to be frustrating for it's not a lack of thoughts or topics or things that I can share. Rather, it seems to be the distraction of other things in my life that keeps me from writing such things. Also, more often than not it's that my thoughts are so large that to try to sum them up in a reasonable blog entry is more than I can attempt! This is a busy season of life, one that's full of some of the most incredibly wonderful things I can even imagine and also one that's bringing its fair share of challenges and even sorrows. I suppose in many ways, it's just a snapshot of anyone's life at any given point!

For me though, it has manifested itself in an extended blog vacation. I'm not particularly fond of that but I'm also not particularly sure that it's going to end anytime soon. For the truth is that the real world is holding all of my attention right now and it's not leaving me a lot of time to share with those who know me online! For good or for bad, I just thought I'd share that it's not because I've lost my muse but rather that my life has grown and changed and I'm just not sure where exactly this blog will fit in.

In the long run, I guess that time will tell. Time always tells! ;)

Things That Are Wrong

Ok, just one thing really.

This makes me sad:
I know, it's just a minor blip in the sunny, springy, lovely weather.

Yet this is how it makes me feel:

:(

Just sayin'.

And don't freak out because this is my second post today. Unlikely to become a regular habit! :)

Cleaning...Because it's Spring?

I am a saver of things. Not in a completely out-of-control, going to end up on some show about hoarders kind of way but in a sentimental manner.

The problem is that my sentimentality can get a bit out of hand at times.

Enter Spring.

For some reason, I am compelled to clean in the spring. I guess clean is actually the wrong word for it. I'm compelled to toss out/organize/reduce/shine up everything! Now, it's not unusual for me to get home and just start cleaning the kitchen. That's normal and to be expected (you can ask Shanda).

Spring brings about a whole new side though where I'll start in the kitchen and I just don't stop because there's so much stuff that can be shined up, wiped off, put away, moved around, and generally made prettier. I have no clue why this happens.

Am I alone in this habit?

BTW...this is not an offer for me to come and clean your house. Unless you want to pay me. Then we can talk. :)

Quick Thoughts

I'm thinking that next year I might have to relegate this whole thankfulness concept to one spot of my blog. I've written daily but I've not committed many thoughts of serious consequence to these pages. So now, when I look back, I see a month full of wonderful things (which most months are) but little depth. I don't know that I love that as much as when my gratitude is showered through the month as I ponder the depths of what is going on in and around me rather than constantly finding gratitude taking center stage.

I guess just thoughts to ponder but I think I might do things differently next November. Guess it's never too early to start thinking about what is to come! :)

PS: How silly is it that I just wrote this post? Perhaps posts like this are really where the lack of depth comes in! :)

204!

I completely missed my 200th post...missed it by four to be exact! :)

So, this is my 204th time of sharing randomness, some wisdom, a lot of truth, stories of life, and my journey from there to here and from here to wherever!

I think it's just somewhat noteworthy to at least celebrate even silly little milestones...places along the road that deserve momentary recognition. So, while this isn't all that big of a deal, I'm pretty sure that there should at least be some confetti...and maybe some cake! :)

Hoping that all of you readers will join me for another hundred posts...not all at once though so no worries! :)

{Cute}

I've officially become enamored with curly brackets (just in case you hadn't noticed)! I have no idea why but I just think they are so cute (for lack of a better word) on the page. Beats me, just a new quirk. Just thought I'd let you know that I realize that I'm not using them in their defined usage but I think they're going to stick around for a bit.

Now that's all I have to say about that! :)

The Learning We Do

Unlike many of the blogs that I read I'm not snapping pictures of my cute kiddos and putting them on a bus or dropping them off at my local school. Rather, I'm the one headed studiously back to the classroom yet again and you'll find no pictures of me sporting cute school gear! :)

It's been one week and so far things are going well. I'm only taking one class (yes, it's a relatively easy semester after last year's insanity) and I think I'm going to enjoy it. It's Anatomy and Physiology, Part II and while I've never really excelled at biology in the past, I'm realizing that there's something completely amazing about it. What I'm finding is that every single day, what we discuss makes me think about God.

Truly, I have absolutely no idea how I ever sat through all of my biology classes before without being totally captivated by the creativity of the Lord as reflected in creation! The way that the human body fits together is completely mind-blowing. I could go on and on about how the muscles work with the bones and the calcium and the food we eat and the way our organs function...but seeing as how I've probably just lost most of you, I'll leave it at that! :)

Sufficient (or perhaps more accurately, insufficient) to say, our God is a creator of magnificent proportions. It's not just in mountains and galaxies but in the way you are able to cross the street and the fact that you can smell a yummy cookie baking to perfection! God is everywhere, from the smallest to the largest, and for me, my classes are a privilege that allows me to put more pieces together in seeing His incredibleness*!

There you go, school and God. Sounds about like a day in my life! :)

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!How vast is the sum of them!
Psalm 139:15-17

*No, it's not a word but I think it should be! :)

Changes

My blog needed a face-lift.

The old look just seemed a bit less joyful than I wanted it to be. There's no question that it was somewhat a reflection of my life when I redesigned last but now, as always, time has moved me on and things are different and I wanted more color, more life, more beauty, more joy!

I hope you enjoy the new look! I expect it won't be too long before the autumn season will inspire me to make another change but, for today, may this one make you think of long, sunny, summer days where the most important things in our lives are moments spent with friends and family making memories that will last well into the winter and often for lifetimes to come.

Blessings to all!

Needed: One Brain

I think that my brain has officially abandoned my body. I have no idea where I lost it but it seems to be gone. Apparently when I finished class my brain decided that it was done too and left on vacation without taking the rest of me with it.

Within the last 24 hours I have forgotten the names of two people I know well, numerous times forgotten a word that should have just come to mind, and generally been unable to remain focused.

Ah well, here's to summer vacation! If you see my brain though, let it know that we go back to school in a week!

:)

Countdown

This semester is almost over!

I can hardly wait. I want freedom from class, freedom from reading, freedom from my computer, freedom from hours of sitting at my table and studying. I want to play and goof around and do those things that I've had to neglect as I've studied like crazy.

It's taking everything in me to stay focused until the end. I am just so ready to finish!

I must be absolutely crazy to have signed up for more classes.

Ah well, those don't happen until later. In the meantime, counting down to freedom at least for the moment!

ADD

Here it is, 10:47 on Saturday night and I've been sitting at this computer for about five hours trying to finish writing the curriculum for Bible study that was due on THURSDAY!!!!!

I don't know what my deal is. I love the topic, I love the verses, I love the writing. Yet I just can't focus on it long enough to finish it up. I'm banning myself from Facebook until I finish it and it looks like I'm going to have to ban myself from my blog, Bloglines, the TV, the radio, and the phone as well.

I don't know what is making me so ADD today. My head feels like it's got ping-pong balls in it and they're just bouncing back and forth and never settling. I've tried different locations, music on and off, and I've even called friends to ask them to pray. I don't get it.

Would not be at all surprised if God is actually trying to say something and I'm just not hearing it. Not hearing it because my entire focus is on getting this thing in the can so it's ready to roll for tomorrow. Might be missing the forest for the trees here.

Either way, there's my Saturday night frustration. Just thought I'd share. Hope everyone else is having more success in their accomplishments than I am!

Ok, back to it now. Here's hoping!

Wanted: Laughter

It has come to my attention that I am somewhat lacking in the inclusion of humor on this blog. My tag line is faith, laughter, and coffee but somewhere along the way this took a turn into being about faith all the time and rarely about laughter. It's always brought to you by the existence of coffee though so nothing to worry about there! :)

If you know me in real life then I would suspect that you know that I spend a lot of time laughing at a lot of things. I endlessly entertain myself with the craziness of my life and the humorous things that happen throughout my days. I have an equally big passion for the things of faith so it's not unusual at all for most every conversation to include a deep theological discussion bookended and interspersed with random, off-topic, just plain funny stuff.

My blog doesn't do a very good job of representing both sides of me. You might think that I'm serious all the time after reading this and perhaps that's partly because this is a place that I work things out and partly because I so want everyone to know how faith weaves itself through everything.

All this to say, I'm going to try to start finding opportunities to write about some other things. Maybe I'll even break out the camera and share with you some of my favorite shots. Or at the very least tell you something about the little pieces of my life that crack me up on a regular basis.

I guess it's all about balance and I've perhaps gone a little far one direction and want to bring it back towards the middle a bit. However, don't for a second think that I'm not going to be writing about the Lord. There's no getting away from it...He's the one constant in a life that's always changing. I'd be a blogging failure if I didn't share Him with you along the way!

So, changes are coming. We'll see where the next chapter of this book takes us! Thanks, as always, for coming along for the ride!

Gonna Have To Disagree

Who doesn't remember it? That touching moment where little Bambi meets up with the skunk and decides to call him Flower? Come on! So cute, so sweet, so precious! I mean, surely these little striped critters can't really smell too much, right?


Well, pardon me on this one but I'm going to have to disagree.

See, in a random incident (the type that tend to follow me around) I, or perhaps better yet, my car, became the recipient of an entire load of skunk yesterday. For the record, I didn't hit it. The big jeep in front of me did though and somehow it deposited the entire little animal's parting gift all over my car. Nice, huh? Although I'm certain it made for an entertaining show if the guy had just looked in his rearview mirror! :)

It was NOT GOOD.

At that point my car reeks both inside and out and I have no choice but to carry on with my day because if I'm late to class I will likely be killed and used as an experiment in coming weeks by my professor. I run home to feed Brady who is fascinated by the sudden smell-a-palooza coming from the area of the garage which I wouldn't even pull in to! Realize when I'm inside the house that it's possible that I also smell like skunk...or my nose just believes everything smells like skunk since my vehicle basically took a bath in it. Switch clothes quickly hoping that Brady doesn't decide to tear mine to pieces looking for whatever made THAT SMELL!!! Head to class just praying that it's really not me. Uneventful class (thank goodness) but the formaldehyde scent that permeates the classroom at all times might have given me an edge! :)

Head back home hoping to pass a car wash on the way. No such luck. Get home and seriously debate about whether it's disippated enough to park in the garage. Decide to chance it. Roommate and I discover that skunk travels through closed doors. Hmmm. Who has more fun than me? Not too bad though and I figured it will only get better with time! She puts up with a lot...and I promise that I'm not trying to run her off! :)

Wake up this morning and head to work. My friend and I always make a coffee run on Fridays and we discussed who should drive. I said I was willing to but that she should know that my car kind of smelled like skunk. I then rephrased: does smell like skunk. Don't think she believed me until she got in and asked, "Are you sure that it's not in the car?"

So, I've since driven around town with the windows open and gotten a car wash. Here's hoping that the worst is now behind us! All this to say though, Disney may have an incredible empire but they can't force me to ever believe that skunks and flowers smell the same! :) Unless we're talking about that weird corpse flower that smells like something died...then they might have something!

Just thought I'd share. Always an adventure with me!

Aauugghhh

Darn it all...I miss my blog!
I want to write and I just don't have time.
I'm so disappointed in myself...I was actually writing relatively regularly.

Rats. Time to quit everything so I can blog.

Ok, maybe that's not the best solution.

I'll just figure out how to juggle better!

Hopefully back with more shortly.

:)

Answered

December 17

Match Day 2008!

7:20AM

Phone rings.

Me: "Tell me!"

Her: "We're coming to Texas!"

Many congratulations Dr. C and Mr. P! Texas can't wait to have you!

:)

Nonsense

A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.
~ Unknown

But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.
~ Psalm 68:3

Life is short, might as well enjoy it!

As I rode my shopping cart towards the cart return last night in the freezing temperatures this is what I said to the man who was looking at me very strangely. He quickly agreed and as I went on my way, I laughed at the way that acting like a kid even for 20 seconds brightens my day and gives me an opportunity to bring a smile to another's face too!

Try it some time. We're never too old to act like children. There are carts to ride, swings to swing on, snowflakes to catch, and dogs to wrestle with. Live with arms wide open! Embrace it all and know that God is the God of laughter and joy and happiness and He loves it when we enjoy the simple things that He's created!

Grinch?

Those of you who know me well have probably heard me talk about my struggle with Christmas and gifts. This is a hard one to explain and sometimes I wonder if I'm not just being selfish or grinchy (if that can be a word) or scroogy (another made-up word, this must be a record).

The things is that it's not that I don't love the people in my life and thoroughly enjoy giving them things that I know will make them smile and bless them. If you're in my life, you've probably received random things from me throughout the course of any given year just because I'll see something and it will make me think of you and I'll buy it to share with you. That's what I love: to unexpectedly surprise people with small things that I know they'll love.

What I don't love is that Christmas has such a focus on gifts. I don't love that most of those who I buy things for could buy the same things for themselves. I don't love Christmas lists that tell me what you want because it makes me think that I don't know you well enough to find something that you would love. I don't like the pressure to find the perfect gift (or sometimes just any gift) to place under the tree on December 25th. I don't love that every year I find myself with more things that I don't really need because people feel the requirement to give.

What I want is to give (and receive) things that are meaningful. Let me buy you tickets to a concert we can go to together. Let me make you a picture frame full of cheerful moments captured on film. Let me take you to dinner or coffee or shopping or on a road trip. Let me invest in your life and not buy you more stuff. Or, if it is a tangible gift that I buy then I want it to be something that I know you'll love and you don't expect and it will bring a smile to your heart and you'll know I love you and really know you.That's what I think I really want the most.

I guess I just wonder: does Christmas have to be all about the stuff?

I don't think there's an easy answer to this and I feel like it's something I talk about every year because I still haven't figured it out. So, I'm trying yet again to find a way to combat the common solution to just buy everyone a gift off a list and call it a year. I've got 21 days to figure it out. Here's hoping.

I have to share this video too because I feel like it's very very very appropriate to the discussion that I've been having. Have you ever thought about these things? I'd love to hear any thoughts out there about this...I don't have answers, just thoughts.



PS: Just in case you're wondering, this is most definitely not a new question for me...it's just coincidental that I wrote about the overabundance of stuff in my life a while ago.

Score!

First things first:

I filled up my car this morning for less than $30!

Now that's something worth stopping for a moment and marking as a blessing!

Ok, back to life. Further bulletins as events warrant! :)

Funny

Just one thing to mention today:

No matter how much you enjoy birthdays, it's still a little weird to see your new age come up on a form at the doctor's office.

How old? Oh crud, you're right.

:)

Each day to the fullest, it's the only way to go!