tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34171626651543691172024-03-18T23:14:43.850-04:00The Truth About Sushi“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-21063001673586168862014-06-24T13:14:00.000-04:002014-06-24T13:14:03.161-04:00I'm No Cheap Date!During the year Josiah was on formula - we had the displeasure of having to go with a special formula. So special, that stores felt $26.00 for a 12.6oz can (or 2ish day supply) was reasonable. That came to roughly $390/month for formula alone. To save some money, I used coupons, became well-acquainted with trusted sellers on ebay, and hesitantly searched craigslist for a discounted purchase. ANY discount! $25 a can you say? Sold! <br />
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But let's not forget diapers and wipes and baby jar food and age-appropriate toys and clothes and shoes and books and more! Heaven forbid they wind up in the hospital at 2 months old with a golfball-sized knot on their neck for no apparent reason - bring on the bills! Before I knew it - I joined the parenting chorus and chanted (LOUDLY) "Babies are so dadgum expensive!"<br />
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So imagine my surprise when we got through Josiah's first year with hospital bills paid, OUR bills paid, some extra debt paid off, and a new car. How did that happen?!?<br />
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And this is what I discovered.<br />
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Babies are not expensive. I am expensive. And I certainly don't want to give up my fun money to pay for silly things like basic needs for my child...do what now?! I mean - I can eat one nice dinner out with my husband OR I can pay the same price for 142 diapers, 504 wipes, 2 week's worth of baby food, and 5 outfits from Goodwill. Helllooooo....this woman needs some cheesecake, people! I am not a cheap date!<br />
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So while I get zero pleasure from filling my grocery cart with smashed peas and teething tablets and yet a bigger sized kid shoe...it's only because I want to reach the Gold star level at Starbucks. Because - let's face it - drinking a cup of Starbuck's coffee is way more enjoyable than changing diapers. <br />
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But I will choose the latter. I may still cringe when I see the final total on the register at checkout - but I'll remind myself that my long-term pleasure at watching my child grow and develop is way more important than attempting to recall the taste of overpriced salmon and mashed potatoes.faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-84711870039346636642013-04-23T23:52:00.000-04:002013-04-24T08:36:55.778-04:00Guidelines to Successful Breastfeeding<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">*<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>This is a compilation of all the advice I have been given about breastfeeding over the past year from a number of sources. This is not an ACTUAL guide to successful breastfeeding...</i></span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Prepare your nipples for breastfeeding. Rubbing a wash cloth over your nipples or pulling on them prior to going into labor will help the adjustment to breastfeeding. Nothing will help prepare you for nursing your baby for the first time. It will hurt when your baby latches properly. You will need to have ointment to keep your nipples from cracking or bleeding within the first few weeks of nursing. If your baby is latched properly, there will be no pain. Bleeding and cracked nipples obviously implies poor latching.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Nurse every 2-3 hours no matter what. You need to keep your supply up. Your baby will increase your supply based on their feeding needs. Make sure your baby nurses on each side during each feeding. It's okay of they don't. Allow them to empty one side completely during a feeding and then nurse them from the opposite side at the next feeding. Do not nurse your baby for more than 30 minutes at a time, as they will burn more calories than they are taking in after that point. Allow your baby to nurse as long as they want. Prolonged nursing increases milk supply. Don't watch the clock - not every baby is the same. Letting them use nursing as a pacifier to fall asleep creates bad habits. Allowing a baby to fall asleep while nursing is good for increasing milk supply.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">If you feel engorged after nursing, pump to relieve the pressure. Pumping after your baby nurses tricks your body into thinking you have twins. Don't do it. Pumping is good for storing extra milk so your husband can help feed the baby via bottle. Don't use a bottle to feed the baby. The baby will have nipple confusion. Pumping is inefficient. Make sure your pump has properly sized flanges. Even if your pump has proper sized flanges, it may not work. Be sure to have a pump on hand to help maintain milk supply when your baby starts sleeping through the night. Your baby should not sleep through the night. You should wake your baby every 2-4 hours to nurse him/her.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">You must eat healthy while breastfeeding. Only organic food must be consumed. Eat whatever you want. The fattier the food, the fattier the milk. You should take in extra calories while nursing. There is absolutely no need to eat more than you did before you got pregnant. You should only drink water. Drinking caffeine doesn't affect the baby. Drinking alcohol does. It is okay to drink alcohol while breastfeeding. Your supply will decrease if you drink anything other than water.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Be sure to carry a nursing cover with you for when you need to nurse in public. Don't nurse in public. Ever. It's completely inappropriate. And natural. So don't worry what other people think. Stay covered up always and don't make eye contact while doing so.</span>faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-27672199256687142232012-10-26T09:58:00.000-04:002012-10-26T13:09:46.949-04:00A Lost Art<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOoqEvDWoHL1upUVl60-4t5JvDjDu8CpMqisyTP2mMSN4KDDsrqt9NXeoqVX6Rgr5xQpTQAOCezHwXrTnJ4W23Gf2F8K7vSdwfqRYmm_a7RAZzMVUZmaMsHeMKNXesSjTMOh8O2BlLD9f/s1600/Thank+You.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOoqEvDWoHL1upUVl60-4t5JvDjDu8CpMqisyTP2mMSN4KDDsrqt9NXeoqVX6Rgr5xQpTQAOCezHwXrTnJ4W23Gf2F8K7vSdwfqRYmm_a7RAZzMVUZmaMsHeMKNXesSjTMOh8O2BlLD9f/s320/Thank+You.jpg" width="320" /></a>I admit it. I was one of those kids who griped, complained, moaned, and made the task of thanking someone, in the form of a handwritten letter, take 4 times as long as was necessary. I often considered just sending back the gift instead. But - alas - my parents were the kind who liked to torture their children after every fun-filled birthday and magical Christmas with the borderline abusive job of writing thank you cards. It was <em>downright</em> impossible figuring out what to say when I DID like the gift....but if there was any chance I wasn't completely giddy with excitement over what I had been given - I'd rather have been grounded for a month than try to form words that communicated a sincerity I didn't feel as an 8-year old. <em>Oh the joy</em> I would feel on those rare occasions where mom either forgot to, or decided to forego, the battle...no....WAR...of sitting us down at the kitchen table and completing not one....not two....but at <em>least</em> <strong>FOUR</strong> sentences of gratitude on a piece of paper. Utter bliss!<br />
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It has taken me almost a ripe 30 years to appreciate this (don't tell her, though!). Not to say I haven't continued to send out thank-you notes since leaving my parents' house - but perhaps not as consistently as I could have. I certainly made a huge effort around the time of my wedding and feel as though I was able to get out thank you notes to 85% of those people who gave us gifts (I'm afraid I might have slacked off after getting back from the honeymoon and going through the last few items).<br />
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All of this to say...over the past 10 months alone....I have spent well over $400 in gifts for weddings, baby showers, graduation, and birthday parties of friends and family. And out of these 15 events I can recall, I only remember receiving 1 thank you card. One. And it blows my mind! What happened to the art of sending thank-you cards? Why have someone make a list of the items you receive at a baby/wedding/graduation party/shower if you don't do anything with it afterwards? <br />
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I still struggle with knowing what to say in the cards. I still don't always care for the gift given - but I now see the huge importance of sending one. I have absolutely<em> no idea</em> what that one thank you card said that I received. And I'm sure I ended up throwing it away that night! But I DO remember who sent it and have a big appreciation and respect for the time they took to write it. Chris looked at me like I was crazy when I ran to Target for some carpet shampoo and came back with a bag full of thank-you cards about a month ago. I had to explain to him I was already behind in thanking 3 people! It's more important to me now, than ever before, to let people know that their time, thoughts, and money are more appreciated than they realize! <br />
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Poor Josiah - I'm going to make him go through the same horrible task of sitting at the kitchen table and writing not one....not two...but at least <strong>FOUR</strong> sentences of gratitude to every person who has given him gifts... :)faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-42884519200540818252012-02-20T11:02:00.000-05:002012-02-20T11:02:33.241-05:00Zimbabwe Recap - Oh Baby!We got to see a baby being born. Front row seats. With encouragement from the doctor to help deliver it.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Um...no thank you. I work at a desk. Behind a computer. Far, far away from any gynecologist's office. In fact, I've only been to the gynecologist twice in my life. I really don't kno</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2VmVdToTgrzDsyd1yLhjwzhNIh0r2OxzjQB7RIlhGo3lWa9Vmeos35AEaEVg8B2Y2a0xtL7jINmagjcQKNgOXKrSJG8KR6pTvQBakmzbxzvaU4Y-1pqG3RO7pfZUrSvB3VDZ-FMeyUsK/s1600/Zimbabwe+Trip+2011+338.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2VmVdToTgrzDsyd1yLhjwzhNIh0r2OxzjQB7RIlhGo3lWa9Vmeos35AEaEVg8B2Y2a0xtL7jINmagjcQKNgOXKrSJG8KR6pTvQBakmzbxzvaU4Y-1pqG3RO7pfZUrSvB3VDZ-FMeyUsK/s320/Zimbabwe+Trip+2011+338.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711246947905468834" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">w how this works. What's about to happen again?</span>"<br /><br />I pushed my husband in front of me, so the doctor would focus on him. <span style="font-style: italic;">Should we at least ask the mother her name? Maybe shake her hand before we stand at the opposite end of her bed?</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Oh how this would never happen in America...</span><br /><br />According to the doctor, she was in full, active labor. We were encouraged to take a look at the baby's head, as it began<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSEGt1lpuYFoKIXjMYk83XOLfCnQIcy3B8-ge0iku3nSynEzgCSycA-XqDb18MYMJ-7PYq6ywXvR0IsLwToIDxrbp4hgZm1XcEWFuWhvvu2Ko-yZ4VvNZUY7zdrXAQp0dEDHkcV19oRtc/s1600/Zimbabwe+Trip+2011+346.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSEGt1lpuYFoKIXjMYk83XOLfCnQIcy3B8-ge0iku3nSynEzgCSycA-XqDb18MYMJ-7PYq6ywXvR0IsLwToIDxrbp4hgZm1XcEWFuWhvvu2Ko-yZ4VvNZUY7zdrXAQp0dEDHkcV19oRtc/s320/Zimbabwe+Trip+2011+346.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711246556491556514" border="0" /></a> to crown. But the mother wasn't screaming or grunting - no way she was in labor! Nobody was encouraging her, holding her hand, telling her to push. We weren't quite sure how long this was going to take. Before I could contemplate whether or not I wanted to miss dinner to witness this event - the baby was full out on the table, before anyone was prepared to catch it. I jumped back faster than I think I ever have. The image of a baby shooting out like a bullet with one push was more than I was prepared for! I hear my husband say "That was awesome!" and about lose my lunch in a nearby basket.<br /><br />I gather myself in the next curtained area, my eyes wide with surprise at my husband's reaction. <span style="font-style: italic;">He is so excited! .....that is sooooo no</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4lBGReMgr9Dt6XlyLoKCiETAhYJw7eDQW8zNpUCVfJhcs59Gpmcp_VdAPRQ_iVttgTolxQUgnMvf_g983mTU-JSPs7iAKkPKXATZkSnD6zZt6hLc4qtphtPTAxvECUD7Hf0Li9Dz5v7I/s1600/Zimbabwe+Trip+2011+356.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4lBGReMgr9Dt6XlyLoKCiETAhYJw7eDQW8zNpUCVfJhcs59Gpmcp_VdAPRQ_iVttgTolxQUgnMvf_g983mTU-JSPs7iAKkPKXATZkSnD6zZt6hLc4qtphtPTAxvECUD7Hf0Li9Dz5v7I/s320/Zimbabwe+Trip+2011+356.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711246686671408386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">t right. Didn't he see where that baby came out? Doesn't he know how horrifying that looks to me? We should really talk about adoption more...</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>I stuck around to see the new life brought into this world. A teammate of mine got to weigh, clean, dress, and cut the umbilical cord off the new baby boy. Once he was all bundled up, we got to hold him. And that kind of made up for the visual that is now permanently scarred in my brain.<br /><br />Oh Eve - I hope that was one juicy piece of fruit....<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-30784324447822693222012-02-20T10:33:00.000-05:002012-02-20T10:20:38.337-05:00Zimbabwe Recap - My Awesome HusbandI have an amazing husband. The man who I couldn't get to hang around the church building 5 minutes after service ended to talk to anyone 4 years ago - made deeper relationships with the people in Zimbabwe that I could have ever imagined. I wanted to see as many different places as I could, meet as many people as possible, and look at the faces of every child around. My senses were in overdrive, my level of discomfort and uncertainty was at an all-time high, and the inability to predict what was going to happen next got my adrenaline pumping.<br /><br />My husband, however, was more focused on getting to know our head cook. He spent days and nights talking to the kitchen staf<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZptIKSC93enOqdZYWwlEHjtvr-GPiwSGDGKkuZfUydsk3ywxO4LFhZt_JxTF8iROv5EmEfjetJzdAZBw1su4Ecsdgsbm4WlcHYzXn-XWw94xA8FI28nF-03hSe_dGu2ZgK5WaOyqf6M6P/s1600/Zimbabwe+Trip+2011+325.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZptIKSC93enOqdZYWwlEHjtvr-GPiwSGDGKkuZfUydsk3ywxO4LFhZt_JxTF8iROv5EmEfjetJzdAZBw1su4Ecsdgsbm4WlcHYzXn-XWw94xA8FI28nF-03hSe_dGu2ZgK5WaOyqf6M6P/s320/Zimbabwe+Trip+2011+325.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711234525946432658" border="0" /></a>f, helping them prepare our meals, and planning hikes at 5am each morning. He bypassed the opportunity to visit different villages during the week - so he could spend more time getting to know the people who served us every day. He learned several words in Shona so that he could greet them in their native language. I don't recall even asking them their names.<br /><br />I know a part of that was due to my uncertainty of a woman's place in Zimbabwe. I was extremely cautious of the cultural boundaries, and didn't want to offend anyone in<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZudHqKsNvR6mPeu53iKcZeguhGJZLaXKI-08IUGwCjMkeeulaRrHRrP_-eB_SYZwsQd6EFxLu9D-WYqlFdcRgAj1_Ee5CQuQAjBquCkHffoh2Ng9H58eiV7VRZDeCXzwVUIakZosaeFes/s1600/Zimbabwe+Trip+2011+132.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZudHqKsNvR6mPeu53iKcZeguhGJZLaXKI-08IUGwCjMkeeulaRrHRrP_-eB_SYZwsQd6EFxLu9D-WYqlFdcRgAj1_Ee5CQuQAjBquCkHffoh2Ng9H58eiV7VRZDeCXzwVUIakZosaeFes/s320/Zimbabwe+Trip+2011+132.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711233213513269874" border="0" /></a> my carelessness. I kept to my American group, and kept my social tendencies to them. But I was so proud of my husband. He got openly made fun of by the local school kids for his country accent and good boy ways. I watched from a distance, ready to jump to his defense. He didn't seem to notice. Or he just didn't care. He continued to sit with them and ask questions - trying to find common ground to talk about. I would have been long gone by that point. My level of discomfort would have shot through the roof at a schoolyard of kids laughing at me. But they always came around. He would push through the language barrier and chorus of laughter and focus in on the one individual who seemed sincere. The battle against my tears stemmed from wanting to protect him - to wishing I was more like him.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong - I talked and made friends with some of the natives. I think I'm the only one in our group who still emails someone back in Zimbabwe. But my heart at the time was more focused on taking in as much as possible - rather than leaving as much of me as possible behind. I look forward to getting another chance to take after my husband's example.faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-41581876986948251952012-02-20T08:15:00.004-05:002012-02-20T16:51:45.110-05:00To All My "Anononymous" ReadersWow - if I knew writing about extroverts would increase my blog hits by 350% - I wouldn't have spent so much time writing about the boring things - like my travel experience and life!<br /><br />I'm not quite sure how so many people are coming across my <a href="http://thetruthaboutsushi.blogspot.com/2011/12/10-myths-about-extroverts.html">extrovert blog</a> - but let me assure you that it was not written with the intent of being taken seriously. As you may notice - I have a whopping 16 followers - only 1 of which I don't know personally. I don't write for the public - (though if I could get paid to sit at home and unintentionally offend people I don't know simply by joking around, I totally would). It was written as an inside joke for my immediate family and close circle of friends (and was well-received, I might add). There was obviously no research or science that went into those 10 lines of extemporaneous comedy.<br /><br />So to those who find me rude and insensitive, I deeply apologize.<br /><br />I'm only rude sometimes. And never at the same time I'm insensitive.<br /><br />Never would I deliberately make a stranger the target of my satirical rant!faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-20847627885692286162011-12-14T10:54:00.002-05:002011-12-14T11:11:25.151-05:00I haven't forgotten...I'm trying so desperately to put my experiences in Zimbabwe into words for you. I have draft posts just sitting there, <span style="font-style: italic;">waiting</span> for me to hit the publish button. Why can't I just spit it out? Why can't I just share with you all the things we experienced over there?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I'm so frustrated</span>. I write, I delete. I write some more....I delete again. It's not coming out like I want it to! I feel as though I'm communicating dissatisfaction, complaint....even disgust....when all I want is to verbalize the reality of their situation. There were so many beautiful moments - that when isolated from the unfavorable circumstances - aren't quite as beautiful. It's something I want so badly to be able to express eloquently and with all the emotions that I felt with each day - but feel as though I'm falling short. <span style="font-style: italic;">I want to get it just right...</span><br /><br />Soon.faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-28962876312099888202011-12-09T09:41:00.006-05:002012-02-20T09:11:21.744-05:0010 Myths About Extroverts<span>In response to the recent article "<a href="http://www.carlkingdom.com/10-myths-about-introverts">10 Myths about Introverts</a>" floating about Facebook lately, I felt the irrepressible need to explain the extroverts of the world.</span><span> </span><span>Read with </span><span>enjoyment </span><span>- and an open heart!</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> :)<br /><br />Myth #1 - Extroverts like to talk and can't be silent.</span><br /><ul><li>It's not so much that we LIKE to talk - but what we DON'T like. Which is awkward silence. This is what occurs when you put a bunch of introverts in a room who don't like making small talk! We like to "break the ice" and talk about anything and everything we can think of, just to avoid the awkwardness of everyone pretending not to be listening or looking at anyone else in the room. If others are talking and there's no awkwardness - we embrace the opportunity to stop brainstorming random and totally unnecessary subjects!<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Myth #2 - Extroverts need to be the center of attention.</span><br /><ul><li>Need? No. We simply ARE, due to introverts not talking....er....excuse me...I believe it's refusing to "beat(ing) around the bush with social pleasantries". <span style="font-style: italic;">There we go</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Or</span> liking to spend an abundant amount of time in public. We end up being the center of attention by default!<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Myth #3 - Extroverts enjoy public speaking.</span><br /><ul><li>Just because we are comfortable talking to YOU and the person standing next to you (and the next person that comes along), does NOT mean that we have any desire to talk to a room full of people at once. Our level of comfort in verbally communicating with others stops when they actually all stop to listen and do not respond. Must I use the word "awkward" again?<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Myth #4 - Extroverts love meeting people.</span><br /><ul><li>Though we get our energy from being <span style="font-style: italic;">around</span> others, do not mistake this for wanting to be the designated "new person" greeter. Being shoved towards a person that no one in the room knows is just as uncomfortable for us, as it is for introverts. However - unlike introverts - we don't know how it is possible to make friends WITHOUT first going through the inevitable "small talk" phase that introverts hate so much. So we push through the hesitation and discomfort and just do it. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Think about it, introverts - your closest friends are extroverts who did exactly what you think is unnecessary to do in public, aren't they?? AREN'T they?!)</span><br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Myth #5 - Extroverts don't want to be alone.</span><br /><ul><li>How would you know? You only see us when we're around you. :)<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Myth #6 - Extroverts have a lot of energy.</span><br /><ul><li>Trust me on this one. We. do. not. exert. any. energy. at. home. YOU give us energy! Isn't that the biggest compliment in the world? We are ONLY energetic when we are around you! We love getting to know you, and finding out more about you, and spending time with you! Woo-hoo....I'm getting more energy just thinking about thinking about you! It doesn't have to be in big groups, either. Extroverts just enjoy spending time with someone other than themselves.<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Myth #7 - Extroverts don't need time to recharge.</span><br /><ul><li>Our recharge is faster than your recharge. Not to sound arrogant or anything. Nothing to brag about, really. Well...it kinda is. Do you remember the last time an extrovert excused themselves to the potty? Yep - that's all it takes. Really. We excuse ourselves, head on down to the john, and let everything that's going on sink in. Then we're ready for round 2!<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Myth #8 - Extroverts are not shy.</span><br /><ul><li>We can be. *buries face in jacket*<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Myth #9 - Extroverts</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">don't have close friends, but a lot of acquaintances.</span><br /><ul><li>Here's the thing. <span style="font-style: italic;">We</span> are capable of being interested in more than 5 people at one time on a deeper level. However - we still invest the majority of our emotional baggage in a few lucky individuals - just like you introverts do. I just think we prepare ourselves with back-ups in case our emotions get smashed by close friends we shared them with! Who wants to be left all alone when a close friend moves on or away???? Oh. That's right. Introverts do.<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Myth #10 - Extroverts don't care what others think.<br /></span><ul><li>The biggest myth of them all! Extroverts have self-confidence issues just as you do! When people look at us across the room, we wonder if they're approving our newest clothing ensemble or simply checking out the fresh pimple beside our nose. The difference is - we typically just ask them! I mean, don't introverts "want everyone to just be real and honest"? What better way than to verbally confirm their suspicion??</li></ul><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >***UPDATE</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">:</span> <a href="http://thetruthaboutsushi.blogspot.com/2012/02/to-all-my-anononymous-readers.html">Note to all my anonymous readers</a>.</span><br /></p>faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-21657903669577290322011-11-21T16:00:00.004-05:002011-11-21T16:46:00.493-05:00Failure to FlyZimbabwe was more than I could have studied, been told about, or imagined. More emotional. More raw. More surreal. More shocking. More spiritual. Going there managed to tear me down, yet build me up. I felt ashamed of my selfishness, yet proud of my determination. Hesitant to learn more of their everyday reality, yet drawn to each individual story.<br /><br />I have failed at any attempt I've made to describe my time there thus far - resulting in confusion and a lot of self-examination. Part comedy, part obsurdity - I envisioned myself somewhat as a mission superhero before leaving the states. Flying to a foreign country with a heart determined to seek and save, bringing material possessions that have little to no importance in my life as the <em>ultimate</em> sacrifice for someone with less, "surviving" on mere bread, rice, and chicken - all to make my Father smile down and say"Well done, my good and faithful servant".<br /><br />But the closest I got to being a superhero was wrapping my towel around my neck as a cape.<br /><br />They don't need a superhero. They need to see the love God has for them -through us. And when I whisked in with my charming smile and bag of tricks - I wonder where I left the simple sincerity of a heart longing to touch a single soul for Jesus. Somehow it became a matter of impressing them with my willingness to share a bag of candy from the dollar tree, rather than impressing ON them the ultimate gift and sacrifice that's been given for us. If there had been a video camera and some sad music in the background, my interactions would have made a perfect commercial for sponsoring an orphan on TV. It was so easy to get caught up in the moment of 50 kids all wanting to hold your hand at the same time. Such a boost to the ego!<br /><br />Needless to say, I'm struggling with feelings of failure. Failing those who gave financially to send us there. Those who prayed for our effectiveness during those 14 days. And failing God. Most of all - God. I pray the door he opened for us resulted in good beyond my line of vision. That the failure I feel results in a renewed appreciation for the time I have with others.<br /><br />My new reality is that...<em>perhaps</em>...the person whose soul needing saving the most during those 2 weeks - was mine.<br /><br />I wasn't prepared for that possibility. Realizing my lack of superpowers and level of spiritual immaturity was an unwelcome surprise. But I'm finally ready to tell you about God's power beyond my blind arrogance. He did some pretty amazing things while I was over there. Stay tuned. Snapshots of our Lord's awesomeness to come.faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-21426106649557680872011-08-23T09:51:00.002-04:002011-08-23T10:30:19.545-04:00Zimbabwe UpdateIt's necessary that I update you on Satan's losing battle in raising funds for Chris and I to serve in Zimbabwe in less than 6 weeks!
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<br />Since my last post, we have been blessed with friends who have stepped forward to support us. Not only am I aware of many prayers going up on our behalf, but we have had $640 dollars pledged to us ($250 specifically for our bills in October), and an additional $100 check given to us for our travel insurance since then. One of my past bosses here at work also told me on Friday that she was going to try and rally funds for us through people I work with and with those in her close circle of friends. Though we still have a ways to go, I fully believe that God is going to bless us with the means to go. We're still hoping and praying that Chris's health insurance kicks in before the second rounds of shots, saving us around $200.
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<br />We had the wonderful opportunity of spending a fair amount of time this past week with the group from Wichita, Kansas that we'll be joining forces with over in Zimbabwe. It was my first time meeting them, and based on how bad my stomach muscles hurt from laughing, I'd say it's a good match. They are all such sweet and loving people, and seem to share in my desire for a sense of humor in dealing with life. It only got me more excited to serve over there with them.
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<br />In other news, Chris and I both got this weird bug on Saturday. He woke up in the middle of Friday night, vomiting. He thought it was the pizza he had had for dinner the night before. Throughout the morning, he developed a headache, and still felt nausous, but eventually began feeling better slightly after lunchtime. Then, in the middle of the afternoon, I started vomiting....but I hadn't had the pizza from the night before. I then got a headache and felt nauseous. But 12 hours later, I was fine again. It was the weirdest thing.
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<br />As another update - I've lost 22lbs. total since I started my "Fathead".....lifestyle!. I've plateaud the past month or so, but I know all I need to do is get my butt on the treadmill to jumpstart it. I've kept my eating on track, and continued taking my vitamins. Saying (and thinking) I need to lose 53lbs. is a lot easier to deal with than 75lbs, though. Slowly, but surely!
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<br />Please keep praying for us as we prepare ourselves for the upcoming mission!
<br />faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-1224064321187508672011-08-17T09:08:00.003-04:002011-08-17T10:59:30.682-04:00The Devil and MeThe devil is a nasty little thing. He works through the thoughts in my mind and on the strings of my heart in ways I easily turn a blind eye to. Ways that make evil seem like a natural reality.
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<br />We have exactly 46 days before we leave for Zimbabwe. Mine and Chris's first mission trip opportunity as a couple. I wondered if we'd ever be able to do something like this together, as marriage tends to lead quickly towards having kids, who tend to suck all your time and money, which tends to leave little opportunity for fulfilling God's work beyond the boundaries of your home. But we've been blessed with this amazing opportunity to serve in an African country. Training over the past year has overflowed with information about the country, the culture, and hypothetical situations we should be prepared for. Emotionally and spiritually preparing ourselves (if that's even possible) for the poverty we are about to witness and the everyday reality of yet another child dying from AIDS or malnutrition. And now we're down to the last 6 weeks. My heart starts racing faster everytime I think about how close it's getting.
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<br />So where's the devil in all this? He makes me forget that Jesus was able to raise the dead. That God spoke to Moses in a burning bush. That miracles <em>do</em> happen. He's allowed the stress of the financial aspect of this trip to burden me to the point of tears. To make me question if we should be going at all. To feel bitter about the letters we sent out to friends and family asking for support twice - and not getting a single response. To underestimate God's power and ability to work it all out. I mean....realistically...Martha lost hope when Jesus didn't make it to Lazarus' bedside before he died. And was already placed in a tomb. But that didn't matter. And I haven't lost faith that God can and will provide the money for us to do His work.
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<br />We originally had to raise $6,000 for the trip, which was due in full <em>last night</em>. Through the support of my immediate family, our church's mission budget, and our own money, we have raised $3,200. Our tickets were bought at $2016.30/each. So without looking at any other aspect of the trip, we now owe $922.60 for the flight alone. The devil tells me it'll never happen. God tells me to trust in Him.
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<br />I sat down last night to add up the bare minimum we will need outside of that amount. Including 2 rounds of shots for both of us, money for visas, food, TSA locks for our luggage, emergency money for the "just in case", and travel insurance - we're looking at another $1,200. The devil tells me it'll never happen. God tells me to trust in Him.
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<br />Unfortunately, Chris will be missing out on 2 paychecks while we are away, as he has no paid vacation time available at his job. So we also have to have extra money in the bank at the end of September to cover the bills in October we'll still have. At the VERY least - $250. Ideally, $500. The devil tells me it'll never happen. God tells me to trust in Him.
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<br />The women are required to wear skirts that come to their ankles during the trip. I have 2. Which means I have to go buy several more. Our team, as a whole, is planning on leaving the majority of our clothing behind when we come back. Chris will also need to purchase clothes to take and leave in Africa. Purchasing 2 weeks' worth of clothes at a thrift store for both Chris and I will be at least $100. The devil tells me it'll never happen. God tells me to trust in Him.
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<br />I haven't lost faith. I know God can provide for us to go on this trip. And I know I can't just sit back and wait for Him to perform a miracle. My biggest fear is coming across as a desperate beggar. But I can't allow the devil to crush my faith in God for the next 6 weeks. Matthew 7:7 tells me that I should "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." If you have a heart for missions, and are able to join us in this effort, please visit <a href="http://www.hscoc.org/">www.hscoc.org</a> and click on the “donations” tab at the top. Or, if you have further questions, feel free to email me at <a href="mailto:faith4jesus247@gmail.com">faith4jesus247@gmail.com</a> .
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<br />I will continue to keep you updated on the mission, and are so thankful for the continued love and support you provide. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue preparing for our time over there!
<br />faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-79800263128365894092011-08-05T10:59:00.005-04:002011-08-05T11:27:58.931-04:00New Wedding Band<div><br /><div><br /><div>My wonderful husband had the misfortune of losing his wedding band before we even hit our 1 year anniversary! He lost in the ocean one day we were at the beach, and the reality of having to replace his wedding band multiple times over the upcoming years (being realistic and all) was financially frustrating! He's not allowed to wear his ring at work, as it's a safety issue. So IF he wears it to work, he has the potential of losing it there. And obviously, when he's not at work....well....we know about those possibilities. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>I may be old-fashioned and all, but I'm pretty strong on the opinion that wedding rings are necessary, not optional, in the world of psycho women today. So it was really important that we got him a new one as soon as possible. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>One Wednesday night at church, someone told him about an<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB51oEwcF0N17VBAgY5z_NbXcsi1i1WZH6LNrIWiOKn0cJq3Z3zGn4ODdakUaAD13Co2uYt0whg4F4Oo1i3qBJDTeyqT9NFCLHfnB32ejb6sxVXALWgfwqydHiOhyphenhyphenAUVwLKMJQFTd2f5DL/s1600/Motorcycle+Cross.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637388651123416226" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 163px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB51oEwcF0N17VBAgY5z_NbXcsi1i1WZH6LNrIWiOKn0cJq3Z3zGn4ODdakUaAD13Co2uYt0whg4F4Oo1i3qBJDTeyqT9NFCLHfnB32ejb6sxVXALWgfwqydHiOhyphenhyphenAUVwLKMJQFTd2f5DL/s320/Motorcycle+Cross.jpg" border="0" /></a>other guy who had gotten his ring tattooed on his finger. I'd heard of it before - but Chris apparently never had. He was highly intrigued and began looking into it. It would solve all our problems! It was cheaper, didn't create a safety issue at work, and he would never be at risk of losing it! And that was pretty much the end of our discussion. Unfortunately, the detail in his original wedding ring was too fine to tattoo on his finger, so he had to decide on another one he wanted. He's always really liked this Christian fish motorcycle symbol. He said it would combine his three greatest loves into one!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So I called him on my way home last night, and ask if he wanted to go check into getting it done. I thought a weeknight would be faster to walk-in without an appointment and get it done. The guy we met did not seem at all thrilled about the idea of doing a ring tattoo. He began telling us that there was no point doing it on the inside of his finger, because it would rub off rather quickly. He then let us know that the top would probably wear off, too, as much as someone typically washes their hands. We were well aware of all of this, and knew that there would probably need to be refreshers in the future. He just wanted to make sure his butt was covered! After we convinced him we understood it all, and had no problem with it, he finally set his station up. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglQVN0BPVEP1JRVPbYKQHNKokbFXnh-7cwzWPjm7F5wcXsThDqFbai8LPKjRBvPxN4s5-2vQJkh5jrw3r5r6qGMHaY0cawHEmycqP6262E0ajpzjegn8K1Ni4uJxq1cw3hRK0Fp95OxrA/s1600/Ring+Tattoo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637390209285290546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 272px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglQVN0BPVEP1JRVPbYKQHNKokbFXnh-7cwzWPjm7F5wcXsThDqFbai8LPKjRBvPxN4s5-2vQJkh5jrw3r5r6qGMHaY0cawHEmycqP6262E0ajpzjegn8K1Ni4uJxq1cw3hRK0Fp95OxrA/s320/Ring+Tattoo.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>He initially though Chris just wanted the symbol outline on top of his finger, but we told him we wanted it to look like an actual band. I couldn't see any of what was actually being tattooed while it was going on, so I hoped that the guy understand what we were wanting. He got down as far on the sides of his finger as he could, then said he couldn't go any further, do to the lack of space for the needle in-between Chris's fingers. That made sense. So it's not all the way around - not even past the point in you see in the picture, really - but we both love how it turned out! Even with tip, it was cheaper than replacing his old wedding band, and we were both so excited about it! Yay for lifetime commitment!!!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div></div></div>faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-6683826162250097762011-08-05T10:22:00.010-04:002011-08-05T10:59:19.672-04:00VBS CrazeVBS and I have a love/hate r<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0L0Yor1SEWJapiVgpYrgDuuudfBve-oee6JCyZHo5Oth7wlpdphcpgGE0wonzpB3OS5VCRgoyywnkHHHuAi8aJpT0-I3rWEqNcq5rChv7zNxLe9XdAFoyNpCg0HbgGqtN4l6eP1AoKD6/s1600/Registration.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637377992918674898" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0L0Yor1SEWJapiVgpYrgDuuudfBve-oee6JCyZHo5Oth7wlpdphcpgGE0wonzpB3OS5VCRgoyywnkHHHuAi8aJpT0-I3rWEqNcq5rChv7zNxLe9XdAFoyNpCg0HbgGqtN4l6eP1AoKD6/s320/Registration.jpg" border="0" /></a>elationship. It takes over my life for about 2-3 weeks every year. And by the time it actually starts, I'm ready for it to be over! Although we didn't have an earth-shattering attendance to constitute the extravagency of it all, we still managed to go above and beyond our efforts from the year before.<br /><br />Last year we held VBS on Friday night and Saturday. We felt our efforts would pay off even more if we held VBS over a 4 day period. So Wednesday-Saturday was dedicated to sending kids 3 to 11 years old through a time warp, back to Nazareth when Jesus was alive. As soon as they entered "Nazareth", they were greeted at a tent, where they were assigned to a Tribe. Once in their tribe, they met for celebration time in the "main" part of Nazareth. There were sheeps, roosters, and hay galore (not pictured)!!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637379194989992978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zNwg2pwOHxAs3CkLcRDgCOlTDXJRLWtCNOYLBnZhbb13zwN4V68WgMZJlHCM7dsv6Qt1iIM9kZPBXgl6wlEIaXiwhJEDPz29IJ__aADpVnfcS0cNf5b9uFckhj6TQYG_DjHPo8uG1z5U/s320/Celebration.jpg" border="0" /><br />The rock wall pictured was the bain of many people's existence. Not only did it takes hours and hours of labor - but then fell apart at least twice before VBS <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLC_DNC0y02Ta2DMc8IJ8wFPD2cWM0uDdEMZYBvpAI2jFPA3EV1iSHoK1t3haFd-un2u2t9FisfVh61hhMa3PLPybW1xgEounpSoagXZ0TOv86jH-l9p5PClv7zAFuJzqzhVNrUkT3L_Rc/s1600/Marketplace.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637378079914752626" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLC_DNC0y02Ta2DMc8IJ8wFPD2cWM0uDdEMZYBvpAI2jFPA3EV1iSHoK1t3haFd-un2u2t9FisfVh61hhMa3PLPybW1xgEounpSoagXZ0TOv86jH-l9p5PClv7zAFuJzqzhVNrUkT3L_Rc/s320/Marketplace.jpg" border="0" /></a>actually began. I guess the good part is that it stayed together during VBS!<br /><br /><br /><p>From celebration time, they either headed to the Marketplace, where they spent their coins to purchase food or "authentic" Nazarian souvenirs that they helped create, outside f<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPR-4KEUlN_F-7dxEhEeBbpoT_TOMKcJlBR5QctBfTgjoS5KXVepGC4JDt6uzRtm8ISTrwGB9WCgOX4yIcHR1UEO43pCmHLFE_fZQWEcyTs-fySo4wdxv4utjDjCWtl05H4bj1bSI_zHm/s1600/Pottery.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637378146997580258" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPR-4KEUlN_F-7dxEhEeBbpoT_TOMKcJlBR5QctBfTgjoS5KXVepGC4JDt6uzRtm8ISTrwGB9WCgOX4yIcHR1UEO43pCmHLFE_fZQWEcyTs-fySo4wdxv4utjDjCWtl05H4bj1bSI_zHm/s320/Pottery.jpg" border="0" /></a>or some <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQM8pl8rETjzI-0rEUYTht7vP_x8fe1NLs1nRXCwaJSMusu0IsJ734_3qoNDVPhez0rSC_RGIvyoBSD2hXvFcxtU2Sh-K8HxtE_dO8W0iHlfrUx1-tT_vbjGVG5dKYq80mo98TCwQ3oWvC/s1600/VBS+%2526+Tattoo+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637378227420463970" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 232px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQM8pl8rETjzI-0rEUYTht7vP_x8fe1NLs1nRXCwaJSMusu0IsJ734_3qoNDVPhez0rSC_RGIvyoBSD2hXvFcxtU2Sh-K8HxtE_dO8W0iHlfrUx1-tT_vbjGVG5dKYq80mo98TCwQ3oWvC/s320/VBS+%2526+Tattoo+001.jpg" border="0" /></a>Nazarian games, or into my (virgin Mary's) house for some reminiscing abo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45styolPNtgrEp0YpfCEsXPmz4NDfdimYHJySp0wDL14Nag00DaGUHh-xRIUBwlxQ8tTY3GuPgWzhVDqfKVFBRJURXIHREGB85PpAb6yhhbWyFUb8Gk0I-892hLC_vBolmJvQje8CkmlH/s1600/VBS+%2526+Tattoo+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637378313031206306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 238px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45styolPNtgrEp0YpfCEsXPmz4NDfdimYHJySp0wDL14Nag00DaGUHh-xRIUBwlxQ8tTY3GuPgWzhVDqfKVFBRJURXIHREGB85PpAb6yhhbWyFUb8Gk0I-892hLC_vBolmJvQje8CkmlH/s320/VBS+%2526+Tattoo+011.jpg" border="0" /></a>ut Jesus in the good ol' days. My nosy neighbor, Eunice, would often "interrupt" my storytelling to tell the tribes that she didn't believe any of my stories. This gave the kids an opportunity to tell her why they believed in Jesus and why they loved him. It was a ton of fun, but totally exhausting every night. I had the fortune/misfortune of doing the same skit 4 times every night. I was a pro at the end of it, for sure!! Bring it on, Babylon 2012!</p>faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-43281282092971671832011-07-19T14:53:00.002-04:002011-07-19T15:32:06.446-04:00The Inside Scoop to "Extreme Home Makeover"Chris and I were one of the last ones to find out ABC's Extreme Home Makeover was coming to Fayetteville. Apparently they had already had a pep rally the week before to gather interest and volunteers. Somehow, we both missed all of that! Chris was extremely excited for the opportunity to volunteer and help on this project, and went online to register to volunteer. We both figured it would be on the outskirts of town..more in the country...as Blue Ridge Log Cabins was the company building the house. No way they would put a log cabin in town!<br /><br />Thursday morning, the day they were set to arrive, I was driving to work and heard on the radio that the winner of the extreme home makeover lived off Langdon Street, in Seabrook Hills! WHAT?! That's where I work! And why is this radio guy telling the whole city, when no one is supposed to know until they knock on the door at 10am??! I was about 2 minutes away from work started looking down neighborhood streets to see if anything was blocked off. I saw a cop escorting a textile truck away from Langdon...two trucks waiting by with road block signs...then the parking lot in front of my building was completely blocked off. Woo-hoo! It's gonna be right here! I got to my office and began looking up exactly which neighborhood was Seabrook Hills. I was gonna beat those road block trucks to it! <br /><br />The news reported that Ty would be knocking on the door at 10am, so I grabbed a coworker, jumped in the car, and headed to Seabrook Hills. We drove by street after street, looking for some sign of their arrival. I wanted to witness it! We even got an escort through the neighborhood by somebody that lived there! But there was nothing. At 10 to 10:00, I frantically crossed the street to another neighborhood. Maybe he meant Seabrook Park...not Hills. We drove in and out, up and down...street after street...after street. An hour later, I "yelled" at Ty for being late on the one day he's supposed to be in Fayetteville. My coworker was convinced that we just hadn't found the right neighborhood. I drove down the other end of Langdon, to turn around and head back to work...when we saw 3 cops in the middle of a main road with their lights on. Then we saw an ambulance pull out. Must have been an accident.<br /><br />So we sat there and waited for traffic to move....and instead of turning right to go back to work, I was curious what was up ahead. So I kept straight. Low and behold....we found it! Well...we found the bus, anyway! And hundreds of people surrounding it in their blue shirts! And the designers! I was so excited...I pulled off the side of the road to take a picture....just to have a cop stop traffic and tell me to back myself back out! :) I wanted to find a legitimate place to park and get out, but my coworker felt we should get back to work. So I took an incredibly lame picture from my phone and reluctantly went back to my office.<br /><br />We found out later that when we had seen the bus - it had actually just gotten to town. They didn't go knock on the door till noon. And although the house IS on Langdon St. - it was NOT in Seabrook Hills like the trusty radio DJ said it was!<br /><br />Fast forward to Sunday night/morning. When Chris went to volunteer, the only shift he could work was 2am-8am Sunday morning. And so he did! He arrived an hour early - got his shirt, a hard hat, and went to work! He said when he got there, they stated that they were 7 hours behind on the project. The part that doesn't make sense to me is that they then were only 45 minutes behind when he left. Way to pick up the pace! Chris said that all the surrounding neighbors had been put up in hotels due to the amount of noise and light needed at night. He was given a list of rules he had to follow as a volunteer...one of which included no pictures. So he didn't take our camera. However, he thinks the guy in charge of yelling at those people was gone, as everyone around him had cameras and were freely taking pictures. The house is worth $750,00, and feels like 2 separate houses put together by a breezeway. The right side will house the director of the center and her family, and the left side has 5 full apartments with kitchens and all....that will hold 5 homeless women and their children. Both sides also have a full basement. They told Chris that it was the biggest house that had even been done on Extreme Home Makeover before.<br /><br />They opened the project up for spectators starting on Saturday, 8am-8pm. People can park their cars at Fayetteville State University and take a shuttle bus to an area in front of the house. Stay as long as you want and take as many pictures as you want! I haven't gone myself yet - probably won't. But I will get to drive by it every day from here on out!<br /><br />Michelle Obama is also gracing us with her presense for the final day on Thursday. They said she was coming to "volunteer"...but the house will be done on Thursday. So I feel safe knowing her hands won't get too dirty. I'm going to see if I can be a part of the crazy crowd yelling "Move That Bus!"...but then again...it's going to be hot. I may just wait to see it on TV. Which is schedule to air on October 21st. Mark your calendars.<br /><br />The following link has a video of the story and progress. Check out how small the house is to the left of the new home!! Ha! <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8256334">http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8256334</a>.faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-13755883867963999572011-07-07T11:21:00.003-04:002011-07-07T13:28:49.303-04:00Monthly UpdateComically, I blog the most when I'm bored. Hence, when there is no blog post update - I'm busy doing things that are actually blog-worthy. Allow me to catch you up on the past month, in short. Let's pick up on my last diet (where all my blogposts could potentially start off!)<br /><ul><li>Continued on my low-fat diet.</li><br /><li>Only lost 3lbs. on it.</li><br /><li>Drove to Tennessee for my nephew's 2nd birthday.</li><br /><li>Bought 200lbs. of sand to create a sandbox for his birthday.</li><br /><li>Took my 4 year old nephew to the Planetarium, where he was afraid we would leave planet Earth forever.</li><br /><li>Bought him honey sticks his mom would object to.</li><br /><li>Gave him candy his mom would object to.</li><br /><li>Gave him spaceman ice cream his mom would object to.</li><br /><li>Attempted to create a slip-n-slide out of a tarp and dishwashing liquid.</li><br /><li>Got made fun of by my sister for eating a low-fat muffin for breakfast.</li><br /><li>Was told by my sister about a low-carb documentary called "Fat Head".</li><br /><li>Drove home and watched Fat Head. </li><br /><li>Decided to switch my low-fat diet to a low-carb diet. </li><br /><li>Put my scale in the back of my car, so I wouldn't weigh myself for a month.</li><br /><li>Engorged on everything I couldn't eat on my low-fat diet.</li><br /><li>Ate more bacon, pepporoni, and hotdogs in the first week than I care to admit.</li><br /><li>Realized I could have REAL ranch dressing. </li><br /><li>Made a bowlful of Outback Ranch dressing.</li><br /><li>Have only eaten 3 salads since then.</li><br /><li>Made 2 pans of brownies for my husband's co-workers.</li><br /><li>Surprised myself by not licking the bowl or spoon in the process.</li><br /><li>Found out my husband's shoulder injury got denied by worker's comp.</li><br /><li>Cried about money.</li><br /><li>Got an unexpected check in the mail from Progress Energy.</li><br /><li>Felt stupid about worrying about money.</li><br /><li>Thought I might be pregnant.</li><br /><li>Cried about money.</li><br /><li>But I wasn't.</li><br /><li>Thought I had take the first test too early.</li><br /><li>Cried about money.</li><br /><li>But I still wasn't.</li><br /><li>Felt even more stupid about worrying about money.</li><br /><li>Spent 13 hours one weekend creating a coupon binder.</li><br /><li>Lost a coupon battle with Walgreens.</li><br /><li>Lost a coupon battle with Wal-mart.</li><br /><li>Poorly planned a trip to Food Lion for groceries.</li><br /><li>Managed to only eat 1 slice of bread in 4 weeks. </li><br /><li>Had a date night with the husband and saw "Bad Teacher".</li><br /><li>Slept in a tent outside for the first time ever.</li><br /><li>Made it through 3 big functions in a single day without eating cake, cookies, or bread.</li><br /><li>Found out 2 friends from church also eat low-carb.</li><br /><li>Found a scale while I was babysitting and stepped on it after 3 weeks.</li><br /><li>Pretended I didn't actually step on the first scale, and acted surprised when I stepped on my home scale after a month.</li><br /><li>Lost 12lbs.</li><br /><li>Spent $7 dying my hair to repair the $100 salon job.</li><br /><li>Succeeded.</li><br /><li>My sister and nephews came to visit.</li><br /><li>Went to the beach with the family.</li><br /><li>Got called "Grammie" more than "Ambuh" by my 2 year old nephew.</li><br /><li>Almost drowned in the ocean, and came home with a really bad sunburn.</li><br /><li>My husband lost his wedding ring in the ocean.</li><br /><li>Cried about money.</li><br /><li>Bought my nephews sparklers for the first time.</li><br /><li>Realized I could eat wings on the low-carb diet and had them 3 nights in a row.</li><br /><li>Typed up 2nd round of letters for Zimbabwe mission trip support in October.</li><br /><li>Found the perfect Christmas gift for everyone in my family.</li><br /><li>Am now wishing away the hours, so that I may leave work and spend more time with my nephews, before my highly anticipated day off tomorrow.</li></ul>There! I think you're caught up now. :)faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-90462728391204278552011-05-19T15:46:00.011-04:002011-05-19T16:23:01.703-04:00Semi-Extreme Couponing Results<strong>Rule #1</strong>: Don't begin couponing in a store you're not familiar with. It should not take you 7 minutes to find the cereal aisle.<br /><br /><strong>Rule #2</strong>: Create a coupon folder. Envelope couponing is ridiculous. Just don't do it.<br /><br /><strong>Rule #3</strong>: Don't get in a checkout line with an old lady cashier. You'll hear about how stupid she thinks couponing is, and how her hours have been recently cut.<br /><br /><strong>Rule #4</strong>: Understand that coupon shopping is way different than regular shopping. It WILL take you twice as long as the time you have allotted.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Rule #5</strong>: The easiest way to find a item you have a coupon for is not to scan the wide variety of labels on the shelves. Simply look for the empty slot on the shelf, and read the tag.<br /><br />My first time couponing was exhausting! I probably shouldn't have waited until 9pm to go, huh? The bad news is that everyone else in Fayetteville had gotten there before I did. The good news is that I was late enough that they were beginning to restock the shelves with the items that were previously cleared out. So after I made my first round....I had to go back through to the items I initially wanted that they were out of. I only made one mistake: ended up paying $3.50 for two servings of yogurt because I grabbed the wrong brand. Bah-hum-bug!<br /><br />But you really just want the numbers, dontcha?! That's all I care about! Here's a picture of my entire purchase (I had to do it....everyone else does!!):<br /><br />I'm not going to list all the items in the picture...unless you just really want me to. Here's the skinny:<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608520766232007842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5P7patGZdNdWLC7SP8v5Xk3pn-YYJ-kB1hfAeQ4YI5as9t8AP9jQKLBkPYCJ6ZaxwkaIo8n2ddFEOg7Ktaq_KGgjfc6jfnfzy0E6KU567J-E2gReMd79pDJqMoX_O-UYcsa5LuxiajYI/s320/Shopping+002.jpg" border="0" /><br /><strong>Retail Value:</strong> <span style="color:#006600;">$66.18</span><br /><strong>Savings with VIC:</strong> <span style="color:#006600;">$3.99</span><br /><strong>Savings with coupons:</strong> <span style="color:#006600;">$34.96</span><br /><strong>Out-of-pocket expense:</strong> <span style="color:#006600;">$27.23</span><br /><strong>Savings of:</strong> <span style="color:#006600;">59%</span><br /><br />Day 2! Less stressful, planned more efficiently, and I knew where to go this time to find an item. However, some of the sale prices displayed were NOT as cheap as the prices that I read they were supposed to be. Don't think I'm not on to you, Harris Teeter!!!<br /><br />JUST realized, though, that I forgot to give them my 2 coupons for the salad dressing. So I'm going to pretend (only in my head, not in the figures below) that I saved 2 more dollars than I actually did.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608520643538375218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtTwPukqvpSPKyAuPqG9pHdIgF_w_LjIJnC4O86__qvg1qoQEq2r4B8yqq8iuoxH2QH_qQKrUShGnmsm5wq2O3yrihWPvUyf0uQU8dQIPxrAEV_yVELWFj890x4am1evW4auP_soHtrMA/s320/Shopping+006.jpg" border="0" /><strong>Retail Value:</strong> <span style="color:#006600;">$61.84 </span><strong><br /></strong><strong>Savings with VIC:</strong> <span style="color:#006600;">$14.82 </span><strong><br />Savings with coupons:</strong> <span style="color:#006600;">$29.47 </span><strong><br />Out-of-pocket expense:</strong> <span style="color:#006600;">$17.55 </span><strong><br />Savings of:</strong> <span style="color:#006600;">72%</span></p><br /><p>I had my hopes set high for a higher percentage (thanks a lot, TLC!), but I certainly wasn't saving 59% on my groceries last week!! I have a few more small stops to make (CVS, Walgreens, Food Lion) for some freebie hotdogs, toothpaste, and so on. This triple coupon deal at Harris Teeter runs through next Tuesday, so I may give it another go on Monday to see if they've replenished any of their empty shelves (and if the coupon crazies have fulfilled their quota!).</p>faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-27358695385612241362011-05-18T17:22:00.004-04:002011-05-18T17:33:43.337-04:00Let's Get Ready.......to COU-PON!! Wooo! <br /><br />First-timer here. My name is Amber Faith Davis, and I am a recovering broke-aholic. I have been broke for 5 years now, but moreso within the past month, as my car decided to die on me, and we now have a new car payment to add to our list of bills. Being broke has allowed me to make excuses for the other aspects of my life - including the main reason the majority of our meals come out of cans.<br /><br />But I <em>refuse</em> to let my broke-aholism control me anymore! I will gather the strength to collect, cut, and organize coupons until being broke is no longer a part of my life. I will endure the laughter and criticism that comes from carrying scissors in my purse, and I will carry bandaids on me at all times to relieve the pain from the blisters on my hand. I...can...do...it! <br /><br />Either that, or TLC has me hooked on their new TV show, "Extreme Couponing". You pick! :)<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608169753563797298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6DCJBaRSkY0LQlliXC89rIULjDWplYzIvgKEcl7QC0WJy3eAb-SCKZsxCSNdFnC3BdBkqPe3Ybe6XtvujbzhLLRvLkGl481Ww4ui0T0XIc4hpD8v2AGjZz3hYW5Bq9kYNgHZBF6YBorl/s320/Coupons+001.jpg" border="0" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbth92_Fkh6HfcciBwFedYekFljmCBIJCN82382txL_jv6KxwewYx_oi5x_KBP86KeeM7jVz7K56eSgZIvdzbpkMf4_Fi7MBUr3akR8YAAtHHP9-8MjG7UyYy79rcvGVjFR1KgUBw0NTl/s1600/Coupons+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608170125405536962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbth92_Fkh6HfcciBwFedYekFljmCBIJCN82382txL_jv6KxwewYx_oi5x_KBP86KeeM7jVz7K56eSgZIvdzbpkMf4_Fi7MBUr3akR8YAAtHHP9-8MjG7UyYy79rcvGVjFR1KgUBw0NTl/s320/Coupons+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkbkTmu9gn0Eaa05Jf21k5pY1oFFdOcSPsH1tgXwiCOXjuW3-Gz69ymgVFQEgkkKzerceBp4Hb6fJa-cdv_jIv_BlngkggWo7xek76jotnliMbPvj5ldZ3vAKR7PUO3YzDAo9mej-ZnC6/s1600/Coupons+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608170008592793570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkbkTmu9gn0Eaa05Jf21k5pY1oFFdOcSPsH1tgXwiCOXjuW3-Gz69ymgVFQEgkkKzerceBp4Hb6fJa-cdv_jIv_BlngkggWo7xek76jotnliMbPvj5ldZ3vAKR7PUO3YzDAo9mej-ZnC6/s320/Coupons+006.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeG7WNoKcYLWwpTyWXVeJpUshSSWLd5Oewgli55l6_9K-uMWszhw61er4ZopO6l0vEHwb5MVOCYFF4P3Snsvyw7QSkxdg0fPh9oo5A7J58QA4uOp0JmBNh5Sd9VCT9X4iPNL79IRBF3PWm/s1600/Coupons+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608169916429009762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeG7WNoKcYLWwpTyWXVeJpUshSSWLd5Oewgli55l6_9K-uMWszhw61er4ZopO6l0vEHwb5MVOCYFF4P3Snsvyw7QSkxdg0fPh9oo5A7J58QA4uOp0JmBNh5Sd9VCT9X4iPNL79IRBF3PWm/s320/Coupons+005.jpg" border="0" /></a>Tonight, I will gather my coupons and pray that there are items left on the shelves of Harris Teeter, after it's first triple-couponing day. I'll let you know how it goes!! :)</div></div>faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-41946310639763252112011-05-17T16:03:00.008-04:002011-05-17T16:59:44.852-04:00God in the Midst of TragedyTypically I wouldn't write a blog like this. But I just can't stop thinking about it.<br /><br />I talk to my friend, Sheritha, from Holland several times a week. We usually just chit-chat, and she keeps me up-to-date on the latest with the church over there. In fact, she's living in my old room above the church now, which is fun for me to go back and visit!<br /><br />I heard the usual "pop" sound of her sending me an IM on Friday. She said I'd never guess who just stopped by the church. 4 years ago, when I lived there, the church came in contact with a guy my age, named El, who seemed to have hit a bit of bad luck. He needed money, a place to stay, and a way to get back to his girlfriend in Amsterdam. The men decided to let him sleep at the church (I was upstairs...two locked doors away) for a couple nights until they could find a way to get him on his feet. He was generally nice and pleasant....a bit on the quiet side. There were times where there was an inexplicable awkwardness in talking to him, but no big issues. He was extremely private and very hesitant to talk about his (understood) bad past. He would come to the church services when he could, and engage with all the members. Two of the men of the congregation ended up writing him a recommendation letter for him to get a job in Amsterdam, and he was on his way to be with his girlfriend.<br /><br />Several months later, he unexpectedly showed up at the church door. I was surprised to see him, and asked why he was back in Eindhoven. I remember him seeming down and discouraged. I invited him into the front room, to get out of the cold. I don't remember our conversation or interactions in detail, but I do remember that I got a really bad vibe from him that day. Something made me afraid to be alone with him...I just couldn't put my finger on it. When he went to the restroom, I quickly grabbed the phone and called Sheritha, who lived just down the street. No answer. I left her a rathered stressed message, telling her to get there as soon as she got the voicemail and NOT to call back...that I just wanted someone with me. I didn't know if she would get the voicemail, but I also didn't want him thinking I suspected anything wrong.<br /><br />In the midst of our conversation, he said he had something for me. He lit up, and told me it was a surprise! He told me that I would have to hide in one of the classrooms in order for him to go get it and show it to me. *red flag* I decided to buy time by joking with him about how odd it would be for him to have a surprise for me when showing up unexpectedly at the door, not even knowing if I was home. He was persistent, though. I must go in the classroom for him to give me a surprise. I was very careful not to let him think I didn't trust his intentions. I just wanted to appease him until I could think of an exit route.<br /><br />God beat me to it. Sheritha came right then. I remember a huge wave of relief come over me. <em>She got the message!</em> I pretended to be surprised to see her, as well....and told her that he was about to give me a surprise (imagine entertaining a 3 year old with this act - that's what I was trying to do). She asked him what it was....but low and behold....he told her he didn't have one. That it was nothing. He quickly left after that.<br /><br />Fast forward 4 years, and he's back at the same church door without warning. When Sheritha answered, he asked if I still lived there. When he found out I didn't, he asked her for the addresses of the two men who had written him the recommendation. She thought that was odd, and gave him their phone numbers instead. He showed up at church on Sunday and mingled. After services, Sheritha noticed both him and one of the church families were gone. With only gut instinct to go on, she sent the family an email, telling them about my experience with him 4 years earlier, and asked them just to be on guard.<br /><br />Monday morning, Sheritha gets a voicemail from the wife. She was calling to see if Sheritha would check the church and see if El had left his keys behind the day before. A couple hours later, Sheritha gets a call from the husband. This time to ask her for permission to give her number to the police....as they were at his house, taking evidence from El attacking his wife. It seems the "lost key" story was a way for him to get into the house. After the wife called Sheritha about the keys, he began making her feel uncomfortable, so she promptly showed him to the door (she was at the house alone with at least 1 of her 4 children). As she opened up the door, he suddenly slammed it close and began attacking her. He put his hand around her throat, and ended up dragging her from the front door to the kitchen. She managed to grab a filet knife to defend herself, and ended up cutting him multiple times on the hands. However, he still overpowered her and held her to the ground, demanding 1000 euros. After a heavy struggle, he tied her up (all of this with her screaming 1 year old on the floor), took their cash, credit cards, cell phone, landline (to keep her from calling anyone), and her husband's bike (as he does not know how to drive) and left.<br /><br />I don't know the details of how she got untied, or how soon the police were called - but when they got there, household items were scattered all over the place, and there was blood in several rooms (mostly his blood). She has several cuts and bruises, but is generally physically okay.<br /><br />There are 2 reasons I share this story. The first is that this family, especially the wife, needs your prayers. Though the physical aspect will heal fairly quickly - I cannot imagine the psychological healing will come near as fast. The husband has already sent out an email, asking for prayers on behalf of El....that he turns his life to God. I sorely wish we had more men in this world like that husband. They apparently now know where El is, but have not yet arrested him. I'm uncertain of the procedure that must be followed over there by the police, and can only hope he is taken into custody soon.<br /><br />The second reason I write this - is that it could have been me, and I can't stop thinking about that. I've spent the past 24 hours wondering what would have happened had I not called Sheritha and had she not come. God protected me that day, and I'm ever-so-thankful the crime yesterday did not result in death. El must have major issues going on in his life, and if the family he violated is willing to forgive him so quickly after the incident - then God is working through them, as well.<br /><br />Pray also for Sheritha's sense of security, as she texted the wife during the day about El, not knowing that he had possession of the phone. As he obviously knows where she lives, pray that he is quickly taken into custody, or that her sense of safety is renewed.<br /><br />Here is a link to news report written about the incident (though you may want to become fluent in Dutch before proceeding):<br /><a href="http://www.112brabant.nl/index_main.php?cat=nieuws&sub=fotoreportages&foto_id=4974">http://www.112brabant.nl/index_main.php?cat=nieuws&sub=fotoreportages&foto_id=4974</a>faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-70183389939927106922011-04-30T20:47:00.009-04:002011-04-30T21:18:24.599-04:00Photos of US!<div style="text-align: left;">It only took me 10 months of being in a house to put up frames with personal photos on the wall. Don't get me wrong - I put the frames up a long time ago! I suppose I thought frames with ANY pictures in it would make it more home-y. They simply had photos of my distant relatives from Kohl's, Wal-mart, and Target in them. Farewell, cute kids without a name. You will be sorely missed...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>My parents inspired me to finally do something with my frames by giving me a canvas of one of our wedding photos for my birthday. We decided to put it on the red wall! Not the clearest shot of it - but just to give you an idea:</div><div><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GTvGRKG1q1FGlPI7IPIUbImP2hrYiTbXAOAKyksHbAptInFnE9deayGYlUTeGrAS84YUU4oG3NAODPJbCbdOaXlm83c-YMmtZKtHCe6SvG8Pk0BMIiV9zM45sb_nF8NxEymuSRxQ-GYp/s400/Pictures+012.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601544028442342082" />I took letters from my scrapbooking collection and put the following collage together. I love how it turned out!<div><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_06ze-7OcRsoxPU5xXuLtZ9IkkkLf0L3xhHGF42TKJa3ZOLnqQ0Qiv6PUzjLM9dfdnwtz7CKpLSuNmFRVNsQdHNPWH8mcjfncdqqAjZefP9HwQ9O5vbIPWM0HGIIfYyi91mcDV-LOt-fr/s320/Pictures+002.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601546475961756082" /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VaYO6M9ua7ICQuUI7bnMQ4_WWGYl_Gqx6J4g1WpX7z8_V2yI_cP381CYb8zlj9oWKtHwIxUEPNiFIyLuHrroE8atS6Wrh1HFhc_nFnraWq8HQL43BiWGKyuAy95jEPxjoNZzLiKtNeDX/s320/Pictures+003.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601546086122071090" />The next one I'm most proud of. I had pictures left over that I didn't know what to do with. We had a frame with a characature drawing in it that I didn't really care to hang on the walls, so I took it out and got creative. Based on the comments we got from some of our engagement photos.....well....you'll see! :)</div><div><br /></div><div> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFsBy2UkKPIL71EB_VyHGJuIIKUxNQCJmDWoG5oy-CVviyiyvjfTh3amvQDUS6k7bu8vMlNu0yxRMu0SFa-EHTL2t8_lgfNngHjWGxhDxWbNDgghz7q5JiJYvcnLFsFLdx_BLweiSh63u/s320/Pictures+006.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601544931347600210" /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Zwobv2NauF_jkz4yMo6SAS4xXQhKKyJ8G_lIHB3l0tEB_93nK8Kf_ypcYLC3XgRix4f445gl1Z7cDFajXVzz5QZvxez-e3EUmeUw2h_lL5hyNqQ-cSlTDGCPHuDVE4Hziib5Mfkm7B-6/s320/Pictures+007.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601544594484957298" />All in one night! I'm so proud of myself! We now have walls of OUR photos! Come see our homey home sometime! :)</div>faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-31184996766950468432011-04-28T18:57:00.006-04:002011-04-28T22:02:40.974-04:00Secretary's DaySecretary's Day is comparable to Valentine's Day in the life of secretaries. <div><br /></div><div>You get your hopes up, excited....ready to be showered with love and appreciation in the form of cards, gifts, or food (my fave!). The morning of, you wake up bright and cheery, ready to do <i>anything</i> for <i>anyone</i> with a smile on your face, so that their appreciation for you will be doubled by the single act of sending a fax on their behalf. Although simple "thank you"s are rare throughout the other 364 days of the year, it's on THIS day that you forgive and forget their inability to show appreciation on any other day, as they redeem themselves with gift cards to your favorite store, a box of chocolates to indulge in, or a special lunch of your choice. All the complaints you have about the people you work with disappear, as a solid 8 hours of pure workplace bliss takes its place. There's nothing better than knowing that the individuals you become an operator, answering machine, giver of excuses, ultimate organizer, expert googler, flawless typer, miracle worker, graphic designer, and calendar guru for - truly recognize and appreciate all you do.</div><div><br /></div><div>But wait. Just like any other day - it comes and goes. No cards. No flowers. No chocolate. Not even a "thank you". It's the ultimate Valentine's Day gone bad. You sit at your desk, googling (after all - you are an expert at it!) Secretary's Day 2011,<i> just</i> to make sure you got the date right. And you did. But no one else seems to notice. And if you DO have the guts to mention it - there's an awkward moment of surprise as they say they didn't know. The awkward moment continues as they nervously chuckle....tell you when they "thought" it was....and find a reason to leave your office as quickly as possible, leaving behind the 125 copies you just finished stapling for them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Don't worry - although Secretary's Day was yesterday, Secretary's Appreciation Week goes until Saturday. You still have time. Go appreciate your secretary. Go do it. Do it. Go. NOW. </div>faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-51803787298834317472011-04-27T10:37:00.006-04:002011-04-27T11:01:35.614-04:00THIS IS AN EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONMonday was an exciting day at work. Well...exciting might not be the right word. Eventful is more accurate.<br /><br />The clock hits 5:00, and I'm starting to close 'er down. I'm organizing papers on my desk, putting items in my purse to take home, wiggling my feet back into my shoes....when I then decide to close my work email, and shut my computer down. But wait. I have a new email! I'm one of those people that can't leave work without making sure every email of the day has been taken care of. Although it's 5:01 now....I gotta see what it is.<br /><br />"<em>This is a message from the FSU emergency notification system...... FSU officials received information that a non-Fayetteville State University student has made threats to come to the campus at approximately 5 p.m. to shoot unnamed individuals</em>."<br /><br />I'm sorry? You send me an email at 5:01pm, telling me that an individual is going to shoot people at my workplace at approximately 5:00pm? Don't you think the email should have gone out....at say....4:59pm? At least give us a minute to run!<br /><br />So then I think....*cue music*....."should I stay or should I go"? The emails continues, politely informing us that this individual is known to "frequent" the student center and University apartments. (Does some calculating in head) <em>So if I walk at 3.287 miles/hour from my building to my car, which is exactly .057 miles away from the front door....he would have to cross my path within the same 63 seconds it will</em> <em>take for me to get from one safety point to another. So my chances of being shot in doing so are.....</em><br /><br />Eh...needless to say...I took my chances. I made it to my car safely, without witnessing any "suspicious activity"....no thanks to <em>you</em>, FSU!! If I left my safety up to you, I could have been shot a mere 30 seconds before I got the email, warning me of the danger!<br /><br />Thank goodness for my amazing mental calculating skills...faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-85415463654297942472011-04-21T09:17:00.015-04:002011-04-28T22:04:04.246-04:00Hysterical LaughterI'm pretty sure it was because I was exhausted. Almost certain that's why this was so funny. I haven't laughed that hard in yeeearrrsss! My belly was hurting, and tears were coming out. I just couldn't stop! Oddly, though - I was alone in my laughter. Usually someone else finds the same thing funny, or my uncontrollable laughter gets them going a bit. But not last night. Chris didn't find it funny. Not at <em>alllllllll....</em><br /><div><br /><div>I had just crawled into bed, and Chris was double-checking the locks on the doo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedCQnn_ze1cb75BocgisCJMNV5I2S398di2VuY3IVn5CSqV4OC9PTnujIFAYvtw9-P6c228XydPd54GOELEGtjc_LrmzWfnXJGD-TCugonHPIVERrOkikEH0Z0rPRj0mwmyk7bCZijxd3/s1600/House+Key+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598028021164536610" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 172px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedCQnn_ze1cb75BocgisCJMNV5I2S398di2VuY3IVn5CSqV4OC9PTnujIFAYvtw9-P6c228XydPd54GOELEGtjc_LrmzWfnXJGD-TCugonHPIVERrOkikEH0Z0rPRj0mwmyk7bCZijxd3/s200/House+Key+009.jpg" border="0" /></a>rs. I hear him say "You've got to be kidding me!" and wait for him to come to the bedroom to ask what's wrong. He walks in, holding this:<br /><div><div><br /><div>I know instantly what it means. And I just lose it! </div><br /><div>(A quick refresher - we live in a small house, where the keys are apparently as old as the house itself. Built in 1950, both doors have double-sided key locks.)<br /></div><br /><div>As he was locking the front door, the key broke in half. With the top part in his hand, and the bottom half still in the lock. That wouldn't be such a big deal, since we have 2 doors....but our second door doesn't have a working door handle on the inside. So anytime we want to go through the kitchen door, we have to go outside the front door and walk around the house to come in from the outside. But now we can't get out the front door. And we can't get out the second door. </div><br /><div>Typically, we would end up calling the person with the spare key to our house to come get us out. Which would be my parents. But I had to take it back from them the last time I got locked inside the house. Now we're REALLY stuck! Chris's tools were outside. I couldn't stop laughing! The comedy of the situation combined with my exhaustion sent my body into spazmastic laughter. I couldn't breathe! Locked inside - no tools - no spare key - almost midnight. Awesome. Chris left me to my insane perspective on the situation and went back into the living room to try and get the other half of the key out. See it in there? No? Well that's how far in there it was!!</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598041585479999570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPiklmyPyh6Eu1mbwVRP3U_YFK94BJZcTzn2d2Re89m-Pd2T9JNPT6xWfNwgj1JttGpK7i7KbBXXQbL33PqfWK0Zv5IYqg4-tCI3Kp49PSuESlHxGD70zhGsSU0objTCdmQUmYgmZj3-Z/s320/House+Key+002.jpg" border="0" />Chris begins by grabbing a pair of tweezers to try and pull the key out. It doesn't budge. I eventually stop laughing and get up to try and help him. I decide that (after taking pictures, of course!) it might work better with two steak knives, one of each side of the key. So I work for a few minutes with steak knives, trying to wiggle the key out of there. No luck.<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598036657515598034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcR_T0tLLqQ01rhyihnYf-CiYqaVOFM3RValRy8rrXduouhpnhyVehGXKGHxd950_bpon8UDDiFDAO0YVFVQaPIfkqKsWqztfIXueXSrQwNrsIjrZpm3Xl_vCZ2a0Z5Cg4J36tscbtzgSg/s320/House+Key+001.jpg" border="0" />Then I have a brilliant idea! Why not just try to <em>unlock</em> the door while the key is still in there, rather than taking it out? Several attempts with the tweezers, and I was able to unlock the door. Yay! We're out! Then Chris is able to go outside and get his tools. Where he then attempts to use his handy-dandy, brand-new pliers to pull the key out.<br /></div><br /><div>Nope....doesn't work. So he decides to just take the whole shebang off the door. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598036798416620802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8KEk3PxBi8oqHxfZMzlibR18vGWKJFM3YjBp-VsJ4SxmBDPoSo6wCNq1EXEQZtQBt_sQ13gtIAUojVoau67CIb6v3hq_GGu-ZDa6zcROz2lQYNWTrI0fqO6Xfum-FR6CQ6i0m4jDkleE2/s320/House+Key+006.jpg" border="0" />At that point, I decided to go back to bed. I could rest easy now, knowing that I didn't have to call out of work for the second time this year, simply because I was locked inside my house! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598041258723241426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 223px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIDwbkNebhPWkhaU-HfK0JDS5esmuxGnntsXOP5Wjwd07bx2k89uwgPfFxwJZMabQ4ULfIgbHESYeuwIAmHzojHJrdxspqo0NyKEmTQeYHMBdIJDYM76bQRw9a7HW_g3tK9Yx924IgJug/s320/House+Key+008.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div>faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-86230175745677843692011-03-22T09:34:00.006-04:002011-03-22T09:58:46.000-04:00Weigh-in Update!I've been slacking on my weight progress report lately! Let's get right to it:<br /><div><div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Week 5:</strong> -0.2 lbs</div><br /><div><strong>Week 6:</strong> +1.0 lb</div><br /><div></div><div>To be honest, I was surprised I didn't gain more than a pound last week! I knew week 5 would be a small loss (as week 4 was relatively large), and I ran out of groceries halfway through last week and didn't have time to go get any! So I ended up eating out more than usual. Of course, it didn't help in the slightest that I licked the remaining batter and icing after ma<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7DKucUvnztPwPomA4qqB1Q4hbvZTAebz7b7WmtZLUymmXhwNRT3O8rn73PzZJsCh1FIRyOYPUCCt9gwgUVtLVE7-GOiPIGLQBipRIrzRT39Q-K2v7p8YNqe9QEBM95jx4FOM5miLkiTS/s1600/Buddy+Fruit.jpg"></a>king the burgers and fries. And THEN I had to try one to make sure they tasted okay...</div><br /><div></div><div>All that being said - I still feel good about my overall progress. I'm still 9lbs down total, and am back on track with my schedule and refrigerator full of health-conscious foods. Ever<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8itPss371YlkFqCwMWZdPB3b9o0KV_nFek6wzmBP2s99AcoTsfe_eFA1szQQwPMK2aYOuij6PBarllbqHTMJGu96BsRLX4cJJyh_Qqogh7zs-EFDeQoJT2zm3qY-wzPdn9EaAQn8XnHh/s1600/Buddy+Fruit.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586903166426734562" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 199px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8itPss371YlkFqCwMWZdPB3b9o0KV_nFek6wzmBP2s99AcoTsfe_eFA1szQQwPMK2aYOuij6PBarllbqHTMJGu96BsRLX4cJJyh_Qqogh7zs-EFDeQoJT2zm3qY-wzPdn9EaAQn8XnHh/s320/Buddy+Fruit.jpg" border="0" /></a>ytime I go to the grocery store, I look for new items to help me get my fruits and veggies in. I'm the worst about those! This week, I got 2 individual packs of Buddy Fruits - one blended, and one "fruit snack" version. Both were NASTTTYYYY! Might be appealing to kids (which I'm sure is who they are intended for!). I found the fruit snack-type pomegranite and acai berry flavor was ridiculously tart and overly sweet. The blended fruit had the consistency of applesauce, but no real distinct fruit flavor. I guess I should just learn to eat the real things, huh?</div></div></div>faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-85222589831061294582011-03-21T11:19:00.003-04:002011-03-21T12:25:17.606-04:00Fast Food Fun!I spent a ridiculous amount of time last week creating a fun dessert, just because. I saw the idea, and couldn't wait to try it out myself! We had a church camera scavenger hunt for adults planned for Saturday, and it was the only good excuse I had to make 2 dozen of these awesome burgers for other people. <div></div><br /><div>Baking the "burgers" (made out of cupcakes, brownies, frosting, and sesame seeds) and "fries" (made out of sugar cookies) was nothing compared to the time it took for me to make the boxes and McD's fry holder! Ugh! Hours and hours of cutting, folding, and gluing....I felt like quitting way before I even got to the baking process! I started on Wednesday and working on it in-between work projects and tutoring. I did most of the baking in 2 hours (uses all mixes, of course!). The hardest part was getting the brownie circles to come out cleanly (oops - forgot to spray the pan!)</div><div></div><br /><div>Overall, it was totally worth the effort. I thought they turned out great, and everybody seemed to loved them. I've even been asked to do these for a church event in May! I'm going to stash this idea away for my kid's kindergarten birthday party someday... :)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586554974727540194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 239px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQh8k3UWvqpp9c-qountg4Hx1WG5g9Yx5WiOK1JuDjXO0tTECVzZgffYc0KioZ5JPgBBatIMOzPl_JiG5jpFVwMZe2gmsm9oMS38rsZbnaP17mSZ4tW_XQpA0R9F3ckCxQA28nTbHJLw5c/s400/Burger+%2527n%2527+Fries.jpg" border="0" /></div>faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417162665154369117.post-86560611681372760762011-03-21T10:31:00.012-04:002011-03-21T11:17:56.547-04:00Eric & Jordan<div align="center">I had the pleasure of hosting (what I think to be) Eric's first sleepover! Jordan, an amazing catch even at the age of 3, stayed with Chris and me Saturday night, so that her parents could attend a Christian concert that night.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">Eric was smitten. The afternoon began with a trip to the movies to see Tangled in 3D. Both kids did great sitting through the movie, only insisting on a single potty trip throughout the time we were there. Neither child got a nap during the day, as is usual in their routine, so I expected some whiny moments throughout the evening. But they never came! These two new friends played very well together...no fighting or arguing all night! Jordan's mom wanted us to take her out to see the moon (as it was supposed to be the "biggest" moon in 18 years!), so Chris grabbed a rug out of the house, and set them up outside to enjoy the view.</div><div align="left"> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586547234682515410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 166px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Q-2kE5dB8ApTV3g5Nb6gc0ew69ciCYxRK5PLTaO4vh864CvU-EEnvNWJc9r5rMQrPY0-dw3-12w1n7QlGq1QGA6CI90gbTHu4xB9eGTpMepM0A3zWY88M5Eb9XWnJ3zIXZ3NPdxNhzjo/s320/Eric+%2526+Jordan+001.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Jordan is telling Eric about the "big bright light" in the sky...</p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586547511143191458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 199px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcetljkf5BwrC6Jud0Q76b8CRoGSvezLtzSvcGuMs3SZ0Ti9sWkTVMB2wLwCK4EKI04RPW9KxHprdklLW7kFANYATVfVOxh5-1yjR69VW9AbaHhHNPjG01haDgtJvNezBBcomUc5LSjr9/s320/Eric+%2526+Jordan+003.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586547389914983762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 206px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgsuWZBAQF_PSLbsL7WKP150_oU1ufrQZp6cNAIKv-WHAkqLUMBwOaNTQUw76ZTPNsBGBYWptILo3GyUc-Bl1fqjwRAdBBk8xZbYyt54fBsJpXU1-GfHjEKbDobHsfYrcGO6edmregyTZ/s320/Eric+%2526+Jordan+002.jpg" border="0" /></p><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586547571913371986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 221px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJV98eczKzWdVCTW29toNm8HYHHYRsyt8z22hL8Z9Kk9uJLS12jbkm_tVGKNeDrjjEszQ0XuMoA71vFTj1qAnPgmGkQ5RKE-4Y1e9Dr26RdaW-B5wK98Bv5LTkQv4bfjZE2hTho32ZE5g/s320/Eric+%2526+Jordan+004.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center">I love Jordan's pose!</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586548306379736098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 280px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCC3r9AnXSFez-n_ixwGqiNrTZas2J-Bl2W0QiQTDTpckZTnGJI0OqCGTCui3hIM9grUVghdmYsfcoknnFrGwtHKJL-8x-DxyumQgtKDIRqZt_mv9Z7fZSawI51Igw_K5uuCZ5EhK8z-w/s400/Eric+%2526+Jordan+006.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center">Thankfully, the two of them fell asleep pretty quickly after being put to bed on Saturday night. They look well-rested! (Notice their matching blankies - Eric's green and Jordan's pink)</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586548217033028610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiig10PTebXCCEohxOjCsu6JDpH9rJE1G_dZYiqJ_AMJT_qHX27es81EwV5am25cNz7bjhyphenhyphencs9ucrMr_XZhRu7CWXFtivXpEcM-BuixtElFXYzIDq9ND4vdtt4yhytKx-mqQXTxyLs422D8/s400/Eric+%2526+Jordan+009.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center">Ready for church!</p><p><br /></p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586549354320620578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-cxl3VoTQBDayH9vxoJweclL2xzqheBpiAlaCSJ1DfuLeuM4g3D15bGmM_5flTU4VcwO1oGcbOsVLPQ3pKWAXo32ikYE3ZmwTq2IZj8ZLq82xYb1qo46nEyUTcOPadpqQEschzTXroCc/s400/Eric+%2526+Jordan.JPG" border="0" />After church, we all went to Texas Roadhouse for lunch. This is the conversation that ensued in the backseat on the way there. (He calls her "Jornan" instead of Jordan.)</p><p align="center"><strong>Eric:</strong> Jornan. Jornan. Jornan. Jornan.</p><p align="center"><strong>Jordan:</strong> I'm <em>playing</em> a game.</p><p align="center"><strong>Eric:</strong> Jornan. Jornan. Jornan. Jornan.</p><p align="center"><strong>Jordan:</strong> I said I'm <em>PLAYING</em> a game!</p><p align="center"><strong>Eric:</strong> Jornan. Jornan. Jornan.....I just want to talk...<br /></p><p align="center">Despite this small conflict in the car, Eric (as every gentleman should) held Jordan's hand through the parking lot, to keep her safe from getting hit by a car. He convinced both me and her parents to let her come back to our house for the afternoon, where they both played away the day as <em>I</em> took a nap.</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586548104600423282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 328px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMLoZ5-jmyqFpzUfnAXCFVWtyPRrVXRP9rXMYFMRKQgu0E5GVLh6ZSQlAoDu5Iog4jk9Ah321dVYOZ1tc5O27eQPf8PdKx-TqulOTJU60K7dMQjJdlr8ags5wq_xPpTw4D318Ip3xNm4B/s400/Eric+%2526+Jordan+013.jpg" border="0" />faith4jesus247http://www.blogger.com/profile/18031261311228976354noreply@blogger.com2