Happy Friday. Here's a picture.
Dec 27, 2005
christmas weekend...
seriously...
seriously...
Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope the holiday was pleasant for you. Mine was nice. Rob and I have discussed several times lately how there's just not the same excitement anymore as there was when we were kids. The day comes and goes without much hoop-la. Which is fine. I sort of like the way it feels to have a less "commercialized" Christmas. Overall, we had a pleasant weekend in Jacksonville. I introduced Rob to Chamblin's Book Mine on Saturday, which was a big hit. He left with his very own copy of a Bartlett's book of quotations, which was a very exciting moment for him. He also purchased a gift for a friend of ours, as well as a copy of Mere Christianity for me, as I have been intending to read it for some time, and his copy is on loan, possibly never to be seen again. Saturday night was presents for the kids at Mom and Dad's house, followed by a trip to the Adams' residence to visit Allie. Rob and I exchanged our gifts that night, as well (I received a digital camera, hence the above picture). Sunday morning was blueberry muffins, church, presents with parents, and a big lunch. After being sent on our way with leftovers in tow, we stopped by the movie theater to watch whatever was playing. We spent the remainder of the evening back in St. Augustine at Rob's house hanging out with friends. Monday we hit the road again to Orlando to see Rob's family who were staying with their god-family. Today and tomorrow will be normal St. Augustine-only days (unless I decide to go to lunch with my mom tomorrow), but on Thursday we'll be going up to St. Simon's Island for Kathy and Todd's wedding. I actually don't mind being on the road so much, especially since I'm not working this week. I'd much rather do that than be bored all the time. Being here three days this week rather than five gives me enough time to do things I need to do but keeps me from running completely out of stuff to do, especially with none of the room mates home. Like today, for example... I needed to go buy this dress I saw at the store the other day, and I needed to buy some shoes to go with it. I got a great deal on the shoes... which makes me feel a little better about what I paid for the dress! Anyway, now I'm rambling. I'm gonna go. Later!
Dec 21, 2005
i have returned...
Well, the posts have been lacking because I spent last week in New Orleans. I went with a group from my church to do disaster relief stuff. It was intense, but a very good trip. We stayed at Metarie Baptist Church and worked with the Southern Baptist disaster relief organization.
Being in New Orleans and seeing the damage there is weird. I've lived in Florida my whole life, so I've seen my fair share of hurricane damage, but what you find in New Orleans is mostly flood damage, which is completely different. For miles and miles and miles, everything is completely deserted... homes, stores, everything. It's like a ghost town. Even cars have been abandoned everywhere. And for the most part, the damage isn't all that visible from the outside. It's just that everything had been flooded, so the insides of everything (houses, buildings, cars) are waterlogged and/or rotted out. Our first few days, we went into homes that had "minimal" flood damage, which means the water levels weren't very high and it was mostly clear water as opposed to really dirty water. But in these homes that had "minimal" damage we still ripped out all their floors, trim work, and the lower-half of their drywall. At least most of their possessions were salvaged. In the other homes we did, where the water levels had been much, much higher, everything they owned was completely destroyed. We went into those homes, often for the first time since the storm and flood, and literally threw out everything these people owned. Books, blankets, clothes, furniture, computers, televisions, appliances, kitchen utensils... everything. It was all destroyed. The furniture would literally crumble as we picked it up to carry it out of the house. And the mold. Everything was covered in mold. The smell was suffocating. (Needless to say, we worked with masks and gloves all week.) The worst of it all was when we came across containers that had been holding water for the past three months. If the containers had previously been empty, it wasn't too bad (bowls and cups on shelves, etc). But if the containers had other things in them as well, such as books in one case, three months of standing water only increased the "rotting" process, so the stench was increased. The only way to explain the smell of these containers is like a fish tank that hasn't been cleaned in a very, very long time, and the fish have possibly died in it also, and as you empty the water out and the sludge on the sides of the tank is revealed the smell hits you in the face and makes you want to puke. Worse still than these small containers were the refridgerators that had been lying on their side for three months, holding old food and flood water. The team always waited until a house was almost finished to even attempt doing anything with a fridge, but in both houses where they attempted to move one, the most putrid water and smell you have ever experienced came seeping out as soon as they moved it. These attempts were quickly abandoned.
Okay, so mostly I've rambled about how gross some of the stuff was. But realistically, the damage we saw was really sad. All week I kept dwelling on the fact that material possessions really just aren't important. The biggest thought I had was that I'm glad that we were able to do this stuff for the homeowners, because we don't have the same emotional attachment to the stuff that they would have. It would be way harder for them to throw away all their things. I don't know if that came out right, but it makes sense in my head.
*****
In other news, Rob and I have been together for a year and a month, as of yesterday. Amazing. This weekend we are spending Christmas Eve and Day with my family in Jacksonville, which should be a pretty good time. I'm nearly done with my Christmas shopping. I still have to get my mom's gift, and then I think I'm shopping a little with my mom tomorrow, after going to my dentist appointment. I'll actually make the trip to Jacksonville three times this week... today I'm riding with Kathy to pick up her wedding dress, tomorrow I have the dentist and shopping, and Rob and I will be back again on Saturday. At least it's not too much of a drive.
Anyway, now that you are up to date with random facts about my life, I'll go. Hope everyone has a great Wednesday. Later.
Well, the posts have been lacking because I spent last week in New Orleans. I went with a group from my church to do disaster relief stuff. It was intense, but a very good trip. We stayed at Metarie Baptist Church and worked with the Southern Baptist disaster relief organization.
Being in New Orleans and seeing the damage there is weird. I've lived in Florida my whole life, so I've seen my fair share of hurricane damage, but what you find in New Orleans is mostly flood damage, which is completely different. For miles and miles and miles, everything is completely deserted... homes, stores, everything. It's like a ghost town. Even cars have been abandoned everywhere. And for the most part, the damage isn't all that visible from the outside. It's just that everything had been flooded, so the insides of everything (houses, buildings, cars) are waterlogged and/or rotted out. Our first few days, we went into homes that had "minimal" flood damage, which means the water levels weren't very high and it was mostly clear water as opposed to really dirty water. But in these homes that had "minimal" damage we still ripped out all their floors, trim work, and the lower-half of their drywall. At least most of their possessions were salvaged. In the other homes we did, where the water levels had been much, much higher, everything they owned was completely destroyed. We went into those homes, often for the first time since the storm and flood, and literally threw out everything these people owned. Books, blankets, clothes, furniture, computers, televisions, appliances, kitchen utensils... everything. It was all destroyed. The furniture would literally crumble as we picked it up to carry it out of the house. And the mold. Everything was covered in mold. The smell was suffocating. (Needless to say, we worked with masks and gloves all week.) The worst of it all was when we came across containers that had been holding water for the past three months. If the containers had previously been empty, it wasn't too bad (bowls and cups on shelves, etc). But if the containers had other things in them as well, such as books in one case, three months of standing water only increased the "rotting" process, so the stench was increased. The only way to explain the smell of these containers is like a fish tank that hasn't been cleaned in a very, very long time, and the fish have possibly died in it also, and as you empty the water out and the sludge on the sides of the tank is revealed the smell hits you in the face and makes you want to puke. Worse still than these small containers were the refridgerators that had been lying on their side for three months, holding old food and flood water. The team always waited until a house was almost finished to even attempt doing anything with a fridge, but in both houses where they attempted to move one, the most putrid water and smell you have ever experienced came seeping out as soon as they moved it. These attempts were quickly abandoned.
Okay, so mostly I've rambled about how gross some of the stuff was. But realistically, the damage we saw was really sad. All week I kept dwelling on the fact that material possessions really just aren't important. The biggest thought I had was that I'm glad that we were able to do this stuff for the homeowners, because we don't have the same emotional attachment to the stuff that they would have. It would be way harder for them to throw away all their things. I don't know if that came out right, but it makes sense in my head.
*****
In other news, Rob and I have been together for a year and a month, as of yesterday. Amazing. This weekend we are spending Christmas Eve and Day with my family in Jacksonville, which should be a pretty good time. I'm nearly done with my Christmas shopping. I still have to get my mom's gift, and then I think I'm shopping a little with my mom tomorrow, after going to my dentist appointment. I'll actually make the trip to Jacksonville three times this week... today I'm riding with Kathy to pick up her wedding dress, tomorrow I have the dentist and shopping, and Rob and I will be back again on Saturday. At least it's not too much of a drive.
Anyway, now that you are up to date with random facts about my life, I'll go. Hope everyone has a great Wednesday. Later.
Dec 9, 2005
to do list revised...
I stole this from Niki. I like it. It's a list of things to do before you die. You highlight the ones you've done.
01. Bought everyone in the pub a drink
02. Swim with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain(updated: I highlighted this one for Rob... I think this means mountain climbing with ropes and caribeeners etc., but he says a mountain in Georgia counts)
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula. (at least I think I did... I know we had one in my 8th-9th grade science class... his name was Esau because he was red and hairy)
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said "I love you" and meant it.
09. Hugged a tree
(I didn't make this list... I don't know what happened to 10 & 11!)12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightening storm at sea (not at sea, but from an airplane)
14. Stayed up all night long, and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Touched an iceberg
20. Slept under the stars (do tents count?)
21. Changed a baby's diaper
22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon (well, not officially a "trip" but I've been in one)
23. Watched a meteor shower
24. Gotten drunk on champagne
25. Given more than you can afford to charity
26. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
27. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (while teaching... while trying to scold a child... wasn't quite a "giggling fit" but close enough)
28. Had a food fight
29. Bet on a winning horse.
30. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
31. Asked out a stranger
32. Had a snowball fight
33. Photocopied your bottom on the office photocopier
34. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can(updated)
35. Held a lamb (umm... Danny and Tina used to own a sheep... it smelled like urine all the time... I never held it.)
36. Enacted a favorite fantasy
38. Taken an ice cold bath
39. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
40. Seen a total eclipse
41. Ridden a roller coaster
42. Hit a home run (maybe in elementary school)
43. Fit three weeks miraculously into three days (teaching feels that way sometimes)
44. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking(Rob says in front of my room-mates does count!)
45. Adopted an accent for an entire day
46. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors ("IF I KNEW WHAT THAT WAS THEN I MIGHT" says Niki. I agree.)
47. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
48. Had two hard drives for your computer
49. Visited all 50 states
50. Loved your job for all accounts (my internship... but I wasn't paid)
51. Taken care of someone who was ill
52. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
53. Had amazing friends
54. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
55. Watched wild whales
56. Stolen a sign
57. Backpacked in Europe
58. Taken a road-trip (somehow I missed this one the first time through)
59. Gone rock climbing
60. Lied to foreign government's official in that country to avoid notice
61. Midnight walk on the beach
62. Gone sky diving
63. Visited Ireland
64. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
65. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
66. Visited Japan
67. Bench-pressed your own weight
68. Milked a cow
69. Alphabetized your CDs/DVDs
70. Pretended to be a superhero (I totally had a second-hand Wonder Woman costume when I was a kid!)
71. Sung karaoke
72. Lounged around in bed all day
73. Posed nude for pictures (no, although it would almost be worth the lie to say "yes" to see the reaction of people who read this!)
74. Gone scuba diving
75. Got it on to "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye
76. Kissed in the rain
77. Played in the mud
78. Played in the rain
79. Gone to a drive-in theater
80. Done something you should regret, but don't regret it
81. Visited the Great Wall of China
83. Dropped Windows in favor of something better ("I DON’T UNDERSTAND THIS QUESTION" says Niki... I don't either. )
84. Started a business (umm... I sold bracelets in elementary school!)
86. Toured ancient sites (Hello! I live in St.Augustine!)
87. Taken a martial arts class
88. Had a sword fight
89. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
90. Gotten married
91. Been in a movie (no, but on tv)
92. Crashed a party
93. Loved someone you shouldn't have
94. Kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy (I would have to get his opinion!)
95. Gotten divorced
96. Eaten cold pizza (cold pizza for breakfast is the best!)
97. Gone without food for 5 days (HECK NO!)
98. Made cookies from scratch
99. Won first prize in a talent contest
100. Ridden a gondola in Venice
Okay, so I have some work to do. But I guess that just means I can't die yet. Rob will be thrilled.
I stole this from Niki. I like it. It's a list of things to do before you die. You highlight the ones you've done.
01. Bought everyone in the pub a drink
02. Swim with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain(updated: I highlighted this one for Rob... I think this means mountain climbing with ropes and caribeeners etc., but he says a mountain in Georgia counts)
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula. (at least I think I did... I know we had one in my 8th-9th grade science class... his name was Esau because he was red and hairy)
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said "I love you" and meant it.
09. Hugged a tree
(I didn't make this list... I don't know what happened to 10 & 11!)12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightening storm at sea (not at sea, but from an airplane)
14. Stayed up all night long, and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Touched an iceberg
20. Slept under the stars (do tents count?)
21. Changed a baby's diaper
22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon (well, not officially a "trip" but I've been in one)
23. Watched a meteor shower
24. Gotten drunk on champagne
25. Given more than you can afford to charity
26. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
27. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (while teaching... while trying to scold a child... wasn't quite a "giggling fit" but close enough)
28. Had a food fight
29. Bet on a winning horse.
30. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
31. Asked out a stranger
32. Had a snowball fight
33. Photocopied your bottom on the office photocopier
34. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can(updated)
35. Held a lamb (umm... Danny and Tina used to own a sheep... it smelled like urine all the time... I never held it.)
36. Enacted a favorite fantasy
38. Taken an ice cold bath
39. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
40. Seen a total eclipse
41. Ridden a roller coaster
42. Hit a home run (maybe in elementary school)
43. Fit three weeks miraculously into three days (teaching feels that way sometimes)
44. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking(Rob says in front of my room-mates does count!)
45. Adopted an accent for an entire day
46. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors ("IF I KNEW WHAT THAT WAS THEN I MIGHT" says Niki. I agree.)
47. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
48. Had two hard drives for your computer
49. Visited all 50 states
50. Loved your job for all accounts (my internship... but I wasn't paid)
51. Taken care of someone who was ill
52. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
53. Had amazing friends
54. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
55. Watched wild whales
56. Stolen a sign
57. Backpacked in Europe
58. Taken a road-trip (somehow I missed this one the first time through)
59. Gone rock climbing
60. Lied to foreign government's official in that country to avoid notice
61. Midnight walk on the beach
62. Gone sky diving
63. Visited Ireland
64. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
65. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
66. Visited Japan
67. Bench-pressed your own weight
68. Milked a cow
69. Alphabetized your CDs/DVDs
70. Pretended to be a superhero (I totally had a second-hand Wonder Woman costume when I was a kid!)
71. Sung karaoke
72. Lounged around in bed all day
73. Posed nude for pictures (no, although it would almost be worth the lie to say "yes" to see the reaction of people who read this!)
74. Gone scuba diving
75. Got it on to "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye
76. Kissed in the rain
77. Played in the mud
78. Played in the rain
79. Gone to a drive-in theater
80. Done something you should regret, but don't regret it
81. Visited the Great Wall of China
83. Dropped Windows in favor of something better ("I DON’T UNDERSTAND THIS QUESTION" says Niki... I don't either. )
84. Started a business (umm... I sold bracelets in elementary school!)
86. Toured ancient sites (Hello! I live in St.Augustine!)
87. Taken a martial arts class
88. Had a sword fight
89. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
90. Gotten married
91. Been in a movie (no, but on tv)
92. Crashed a party
93. Loved someone you shouldn't have
94. Kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy (I would have to get his opinion!)
95. Gotten divorced
96. Eaten cold pizza (cold pizza for breakfast is the best!)
97. Gone without food for 5 days (HECK NO!)
98. Made cookies from scratch
99. Won first prize in a talent contest
100. Ridden a gondola in Venice
Okay, so I have some work to do. But I guess that just means I can't die yet. Rob will be thrilled.
Dec 7, 2005
good morning, in the pm...
I had an algebra teacher in jr.high that would say "good afternoon" any time prior to noon and "good morning" any time past noon. I think she did it just to catch people off guard. She was pretty quirky. There was no point in me telling you that... I just felt like saying "good morning" and then realized it was nearly 6:00pm.
Random thought of the day: I hope the best but fear the worst for many of the people I've known in the past. I feel like that's pesimistic of me, but I've been proven right too many times to feel any differently.
I had an algebra teacher in jr.high that would say "good afternoon" any time prior to noon and "good morning" any time past noon. I think she did it just to catch people off guard. She was pretty quirky. There was no point in me telling you that... I just felt like saying "good morning" and then realized it was nearly 6:00pm.
Random thought of the day: I hope the best but fear the worst for many of the people I've known in the past. I feel like that's pesimistic of me, but I've been proven right too many times to feel any differently.
Dec 6, 2005
all grown up...
There are various points in one's life that are somewhat defining as steps toward adulthood. Yesterday, mine was being a "big girl" and going to get a shot all by myself. Aside from when I was deathly ill over the summer, this is the only other time I've even had to go to the doctor by myself. The actual "going" isn't so bad, it's more everything leading up to going. Over the summer, it was figuring out which doctor I was allowed to go to in St.Augustine that was covered by my insurance, and then actually getting in to see him, and then finding out there was a problem with my insurance and having to make the necessary calls to figure all that stuff out, all while my tonsils were swelling to the size of ping-pong balls. Yesterday wasn't nearly as confusing. I just had to figure out the right office of the health department to go to. So I went and got my Tetanus shot (so I can go to New Orleans next week) by myself, and it wasn't that bad. But it is a Tetanus shot, which is known to make you sore, so my arm hurts a little today. It just feels like when you've pulled a muscle or something.
Speaking of New Orleans, I'm going there next week with a group from church to do some disaster relief stuff. Honestly, at first I wasn't that excited about it, but I just felt like I should go. Now I'm pretty excited about going. I went last year to Punta Gorda to do similar work, and that was a really good experience. I'm just hoping for more organization while we're there this time, which I think there's a pretty good chance of.
Anyway, that's all my news for now. Hope everyone has a great week! Grace and peace!
There are various points in one's life that are somewhat defining as steps toward adulthood. Yesterday, mine was being a "big girl" and going to get a shot all by myself. Aside from when I was deathly ill over the summer, this is the only other time I've even had to go to the doctor by myself. The actual "going" isn't so bad, it's more everything leading up to going. Over the summer, it was figuring out which doctor I was allowed to go to in St.Augustine that was covered by my insurance, and then actually getting in to see him, and then finding out there was a problem with my insurance and having to make the necessary calls to figure all that stuff out, all while my tonsils were swelling to the size of ping-pong balls. Yesterday wasn't nearly as confusing. I just had to figure out the right office of the health department to go to. So I went and got my Tetanus shot (so I can go to New Orleans next week) by myself, and it wasn't that bad. But it is a Tetanus shot, which is known to make you sore, so my arm hurts a little today. It just feels like when you've pulled a muscle or something.
Speaking of New Orleans, I'm going there next week with a group from church to do some disaster relief stuff. Honestly, at first I wasn't that excited about it, but I just felt like I should go. Now I'm pretty excited about going. I went last year to Punta Gorda to do similar work, and that was a really good experience. I'm just hoping for more organization while we're there this time, which I think there's a pretty good chance of.
Anyway, that's all my news for now. Hope everyone has a great week! Grace and peace!
Dec 1, 2005
lacking...
I haven't been in the Word like I should lately, and I can feel it more now than I ever have before. There have been plenty of times in my life when I've gone without quiet times for given periods of time, but this time seems to be having the most effect. I guess it's good in a way. Not good that I'm out of the Word, but good that I'm feeling its importance by the void that is left without it. I read yesterdsay, and, as always, God was faithful to go above and beyond what I expected. There was a certain passage, the last among many, and when I got to it, it was like being in a dark house with heavy drapes on the windows, and when you pull back the drapes the sunlight comes pouring in. The light and warmth fill the room and change the entire atmosphere. "Wow," you say, as you stand in amazement of all that you had been missing when the drapes were closed. That's how I felt yesterday. That's how I want to feel every day. Yet it's so easy just to leave my Bible sitting there closed. All it takes is a little determination. I'm working on that. Pray for me. Grace and peace.
I haven't been in the Word like I should lately, and I can feel it more now than I ever have before. There have been plenty of times in my life when I've gone without quiet times for given periods of time, but this time seems to be having the most effect. I guess it's good in a way. Not good that I'm out of the Word, but good that I'm feeling its importance by the void that is left without it. I read yesterdsay, and, as always, God was faithful to go above and beyond what I expected. There was a certain passage, the last among many, and when I got to it, it was like being in a dark house with heavy drapes on the windows, and when you pull back the drapes the sunlight comes pouring in. The light and warmth fill the room and change the entire atmosphere. "Wow," you say, as you stand in amazement of all that you had been missing when the drapes were closed. That's how I felt yesterday. That's how I want to feel every day. Yet it's so easy just to leave my Bible sitting there closed. All it takes is a little determination. I'm working on that. Pray for me. Grace and peace.
Nov 28, 2005
good times...
Thanksgiving weekend (closer to a week really) was wonderful. We hung out with the Stone family, relaxed a bunch, had early Christmas for me and Rob, and spent a day bumming around Orlando. All in all, a great time.
I spent today with the class that I'll sub for in January. It was a good day. And I'm getting paid for it! I think January will go really well. I'm quite looking forward to it.
That's all for now. Later.
Thanksgiving weekend (closer to a week really) was wonderful. We hung out with the Stone family, relaxed a bunch, had early Christmas for me and Rob, and spent a day bumming around Orlando. All in all, a great time.
I spent today with the class that I'll sub for in January. It was a good day. And I'm getting paid for it! I think January will go really well. I'm quite looking forward to it.
That's all for now. Later.
Nov 23, 2005
off again...
Well, we're off again to South Florida for the holiday weekend. It has been requested that I join the females for shopping early Friday morning... my thought is that it has the nickname "Black Friday" for a reason! I'll try to get out of it, but if I can't I'll be a good sport and go. Anyway, I don't know if I'll post any while I'm in Ft.Lauderdale, so if not, I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoys family and friends and good food. Be safe! Later!
Well, we're off again to South Florida for the holiday weekend. It has been requested that I join the females for shopping early Friday morning... my thought is that it has the nickname "Black Friday" for a reason! I'll try to get out of it, but if I can't I'll be a good sport and go. Anyway, I don't know if I'll post any while I'm in Ft.Lauderdale, so if not, I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoys family and friends and good food. Be safe! Later!
Nov 21, 2005
good weekend...
Nickle Creek is absolutely rediculously amazing. I want to be in a bluegrass band. I want an upright bass. Driving on a poorly-lit highway in the wee hours of morning in the rain, swerving to miss tipped-over barracade barrels is always good. Tolls are rediculous.
The Miami game was fun... but they lost. "Poodle on a stick" is pretty good.
Chai Frappaccino is a perfect way to start a morning. Singing with Rob is one of my favorite things to do. The entire Stone/Smith family (and various extensions thereof) is fabulous.
**Sorry for the lack of details. I need to hit the sack. If you're interested to know more, leave a question in the comments! G'night!
Nickle Creek is absolutely rediculously amazing. I want to be in a bluegrass band. I want an upright bass. Driving on a poorly-lit highway in the wee hours of morning in the rain, swerving to miss tipped-over barracade barrels is always good. Tolls are rediculous.
The Miami game was fun... but they lost. "Poodle on a stick" is pretty good.
Chai Frappaccino is a perfect way to start a morning. Singing with Rob is one of my favorite things to do. The entire Stone/Smith family (and various extensions thereof) is fabulous.
**Sorry for the lack of details. I need to hit the sack. If you're interested to know more, leave a question in the comments! G'night!
Nov 15, 2005
completed...
Yesterday was the last day of my internship. Today is the first day that my 18 second-graders are at school and I am not. It's kind of weird. Yesterday was a great day though. My kids were super sweet... some of them brought little presents for me. (We also celebrated one of the kid's birthdays yesterday, which involved Krispy Kream donughts! That alone made it a great day!) After lunch, when we came back in the room, Judy had the table set up with a huge basket of stuff for me, flowers from the class, and a platter of cupcakes that spelled out "We'll miss you Ms. Lee". There was also a book that Judy had put together of writings the kids had done. They each wrote a letter to principals who will interview me... "Principals you meet along the way" Liam told me. They all started off something like "Dear Principal, You should hire Ms. Lee because..." They were really sweet. It's awesome reading the reasons that second-graders come up with as to why I'd make a good teacher. I think my two favorites were (1) "If your eraser is bad, she'll give you a new one" and (2) "She'll let someone take you to the bathroom while you're on the playground if you need to go." Those cracked me up. The rest mostly revolved around helping with math facts and spelling and computers. The book was definitely my favorite gift. Although the EZ-grader that was in my basket-full of stuff is a pretty close second! I was also way excited that I got two Starbucks gift cards. Anyway, that's the end of my story. As of now, I am unemployed, but I should be set in a day or two for substituting. That'll be a day-to-day thing until January when I'll long-term-sub for 6 weeks. After that, I'm claiming the promise that God has a job in store for me and that I'll be hired to teach in August.
I'm looking forward to this weekend: Friday night is the Nickle Creek concert in Orlando. From there, Rob and I will drive the rest of the way to Ft.Lauderdale and spend the night at his parents'. Saturday is the Miami v. Georgia Tech game that we are going to. Sunday is mine and Rob's one-year anneversary, so we plan to spend the day at Islands of Adventure. All in all, it should be a great time.
That's all for now. Tune in next time for another episode of Meg's Life.
Yesterday was the last day of my internship. Today is the first day that my 18 second-graders are at school and I am not. It's kind of weird. Yesterday was a great day though. My kids were super sweet... some of them brought little presents for me. (We also celebrated one of the kid's birthdays yesterday, which involved Krispy Kream donughts! That alone made it a great day!) After lunch, when we came back in the room, Judy had the table set up with a huge basket of stuff for me, flowers from the class, and a platter of cupcakes that spelled out "We'll miss you Ms. Lee". There was also a book that Judy had put together of writings the kids had done. They each wrote a letter to principals who will interview me... "Principals you meet along the way" Liam told me. They all started off something like "Dear Principal, You should hire Ms. Lee because..." They were really sweet. It's awesome reading the reasons that second-graders come up with as to why I'd make a good teacher. I think my two favorites were (1) "If your eraser is bad, she'll give you a new one" and (2) "She'll let someone take you to the bathroom while you're on the playground if you need to go." Those cracked me up. The rest mostly revolved around helping with math facts and spelling and computers. The book was definitely my favorite gift. Although the EZ-grader that was in my basket-full of stuff is a pretty close second! I was also way excited that I got two Starbucks gift cards. Anyway, that's the end of my story. As of now, I am unemployed, but I should be set in a day or two for substituting. That'll be a day-to-day thing until January when I'll long-term-sub for 6 weeks. After that, I'm claiming the promise that God has a job in store for me and that I'll be hired to teach in August.
I'm looking forward to this weekend: Friday night is the Nickle Creek concert in Orlando. From there, Rob and I will drive the rest of the way to Ft.Lauderdale and spend the night at his parents'. Saturday is the Miami v. Georgia Tech game that we are going to. Sunday is mine and Rob's one-year anneversary, so we plan to spend the day at Islands of Adventure. All in all, it should be a great time.
That's all for now. Tune in next time for another episode of Meg's Life.
Nov 10, 2005
try it...
After being inspired by Rob, I made a quiz about myself for all of you to take. Marilyn recommended that I use this website, so here's the link. It should work... and the link should take you straight to my quiz. Give it a try!
meg's quiz
After being inspired by Rob, I made a quiz about myself for all of you to take. Marilyn recommended that I use this website, so here's the link. It should work... and the link should take you straight to my quiz. Give it a try!
meg's quiz
music fills the air...
This fall seems to be the time of concerts for me. Rob and I have many on our calender. We've already done Death Cab for Cutie on October 30, and Copeland on November 6. They were both really good! Death Cab was at the Hard Rock in Orlando, which is a nice large venue. We had lots of fun with Rob's friends from UCF. Copeland, which I've seen once before, was at The Social, also in Orlando. I really like The Social. Cool atmosphere. Ryan and "Bone" joined us that night. Earlier in the evening, we stopped in at Nate's engagement party (sorry, can't remember her name... I'm bad about that... and I've met her several times!). On the 18th Rob and I will see Nickle Creek, which I'm really very excited about. The Thursday night concert in Jacksonville was already sold out, so we'll be in Orlando on Friday yet again. That should be a really fun weekend... Friday is the concert, from where we will continue on to Ft.Lauderdale and spend the weekend. Sunday Rob and I will have our One Year anneversary and will hopefully be able to spend the day at Islands of Adventure. The final concert on our calender (for now) will be Allison Crause in December (is that how you spell her name?). After that, who knows. The "holiday season" will certainly be a busy one though.
That's all for now. I'm excited to say that I have tomorrow off! LONG WEEKEND!!
Later!
This fall seems to be the time of concerts for me. Rob and I have many on our calender. We've already done Death Cab for Cutie on October 30, and Copeland on November 6. They were both really good! Death Cab was at the Hard Rock in Orlando, which is a nice large venue. We had lots of fun with Rob's friends from UCF. Copeland, which I've seen once before, was at The Social, also in Orlando. I really like The Social. Cool atmosphere. Ryan and "Bone" joined us that night. Earlier in the evening, we stopped in at Nate's engagement party (sorry, can't remember her name... I'm bad about that... and I've met her several times!). On the 18th Rob and I will see Nickle Creek, which I'm really very excited about. The Thursday night concert in Jacksonville was already sold out, so we'll be in Orlando on Friday yet again. That should be a really fun weekend... Friday is the concert, from where we will continue on to Ft.Lauderdale and spend the weekend. Sunday Rob and I will have our One Year anneversary and will hopefully be able to spend the day at Islands of Adventure. The final concert on our calender (for now) will be Allison Crause in December (is that how you spell her name?). After that, who knows. The "holiday season" will certainly be a busy one though.
That's all for now. I'm excited to say that I have tomorrow off! LONG WEEKEND!!
Later!
Nov 3, 2005
awesome...
I love this verse!
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:3-4
I love this verse!
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:3-4
Oct 29, 2005
years later...
So it seems it has been ages since I posted anything, and --my apologies to all-- even longer since I read anyone else's posts. So here's a quick update and then a survey thing that Rob did that I enjoyed.
My internship continues to go well. I really do love second grade. At this point I only have two weeks remaining. I will be glad to have the opportunity to attempt to get a job for which I will receive pay, but I will definitely miss my class when I leave. My big plan between November 15 and graduation on December 10 is to try to work as many substituting positions as I can. That's really all there is for me to do, as I can only officially apply for teaching positions after graduation. In January, however, I have a long-term subbing position lined up already. I will sub for slightly more than a month for a guy who teaches second grade at Hartley. I'm really excited and really grateful for that opportunity. I think it will be a good way for me to "get a foot in the door" with the principal there. I met her the other day and she seems nice, and I've heard really good things about her. In this county, you have to know people or be known by people to get a job, so if I have any hope, this is it. The position in January will prevent me from going to the Passion conference in Tennessee this year, but I'm okay with that. This is more important. Besides, I think Rob and I are planning a trip together for a little later in the spring.
All else in life is basically the same as ever. All is well, church is good, I love Rob, I'm always broke... you know, the usual. Speaking of church, Anastasia really is one of the biggest blessings in my life. I have the most incredible group of friends I could ever hope for; I'm constantly fed spiritually in everything we do with church; there's a sense of accountability among us. It's just really cool. Rob and I have been in the rotation of people who teach our Sunday school Bible study lately, which has been good. I think it's good for us, too, because not only are we being stretched by teaching, the opportunity itself also gives us a specific reason to be in the Word together. We're both in the Word seperately and share with each other about it, but when we have to plan for a Bible study lesson it's nice to read the same passage and talk about it in depth. It's cool how God always uses things to bless those who "do" it and those who "receive" it. Aside from Sunday school, we've been visiting Treaty Park weekly (every Sunday afternoon) with "the group" for Ultimate Frisbee. It really is a good time. There's not a competitive or athletic bone in my body, but surprisingly, I do enjoy playing quite a bit.
Last night we went on our annual camping trip. There was some mistake with the scheduling at Anastasia State Park however, so we wound up camping out on Charlee's sister's property. When I heard that idea, I was less than enthused about it, but we went, and it was actually really good. Good, but FREEZING COLD! I slept in the back of Ryan's car with four layers of clothes on and a massive blanket and I was still cold. But all in all, it was worth it.
Okay, that's really all I have to say on my own, so I will now fill out a survey.
10 years ago: 10 Years ago I was 12. I was in 6th grade, which was my first year at Trinity Christian Academy. Personality-wise, this was probably the weirdest year of my life! I was at a new school with a new group of friends, there were lots of cute boys, and, well, I was a 6th grade girl. I had a crush on Daniel Pride and probably made a fool of myself at least every other day because of it in one way or another (not sure that anyone else really ever noticed though).
5 years ago: I was 17 and a junior in high-school. I was on student council, so the big event of the year was planning the Jr./Sr. Banquet. That was a lot of fun. I had rediculously short hair, marched in the band, had braces (but got them off that year), joined VIP (our school choir), and was transitioning out of being best friends with Jessie. Spirit week for homecoming was way fun that year. I also tried out for All-State Choir and made the all-girls SSAA group. That was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life. I think I was pretty much between major crushes at the time, so no interesting notes there.
2 years ago: I was a junior at Flagler, although it was only my second year there. I dated Andrew for a very short time. I had the most diverse group of friends that I've ever had in all my life. I spent New Year's Eve in Times Square with my friends... awesome trip... we rode the train, which was a mistake; we house-hopped from night to night; we were really, officially ON OUR OWN in NYC! Transitioned groups of friends second semester. Was still living with Laci in the dorms, and Krissy and Erica were our suite-mates... the beginning of wonderful friendships.
1 year ago: I was 21, which means I drank for the first time in my life (yes, I really did wait for my 21st birthday). I was home from a summer in Canton, GA, and was finally living off-campus in a house. My interest in photography finally was awarded when I was at long-last able to take a photography class (both semesters). Rob and I had started hanging out, were clearly interested in each other, and would soon start dating (November 20th, to be exact). By the end of 2004 I had met Rob's family in South Florida, and they loved me, which was reassuring. In January I went to the Passion conference, which was amazing.
Yesterday: Was Friday. I went to work (internship) like usual. We actually had a pretty fun day because we got to do some fun activities in class that were a little out of the usual routine. I came home and took a nap before heading to our annual camping trip, which had to be relocated. I froze my butt off all night.
Snacks I enjoy: creamcicle ice cream from Veronica's store, cheese crackers, bananas, most everything else
What would I do with 100 Million Dollars? Tithe/give extra money to the church... it would be such a blessing to be in the position where I could give as much as I felt like giving without being held back by limited finances! I'd do something really special for both my grandmothers... I would say buy them new homes, but I don't think either of them really would want that, so I'd do something else really nice. I'd buy my parents a house on the water somewhere... my dad always wanted me to be a doctor or something so I could do that, so since I'm a teacher and won't ever be in that position otherwise, I'd use some of this money. I'd take my mom on a shopping spree. After the awesome wedding that Rob plans to pay for with his $100 Million, I'd take a freaking amazing honeymoon to some crazy-cool places in Europe or something. Oh, and I'd buy an upright bass!!! And after buying a sweet house for me and Rob, I'd make sure there was an amazing music room to play it in. (How far does $100 Million go? I'm sure I still have a ways...) I'd find some way to invest huge in the education system in a way that would make a direct impact on kids who need it most.
Top 5 places I would run away to?
Oh gosh... I don't know.
5. A suburb of Atlant: just a great place... near lots stuff I love
4. Tennessee: simply for the beauty of it
3. NYC: I'd like to try living there for a while
2. Chicago: I'd live in the museums!
1. London: I absolutely love that place!
5 things I would never wear:
5. men's underware (whitie-tighties... I'm not opposed to wearing boxers for sleeping in or whatever)
4. a thong... just not for me
3. a true mini-skirt
2. cowboy boots
1. a mu-mu (not sure how to spell it)
5 bad habits: (in no particular order)
5. getting too easily annoyed
4. being selfish
3. being lazy
2. not being considerate when speaking my mind
1. being a hypocrite in the little things
5 biggest joys: (again, no particular order)
5. church
4. Rob
3. St.Augustine
2. spirit-and-truth worship
1. Allison Harper Lee (my baby niece)
5 favorite toys: (currently)
5. Brett (my car)
4. Rob's digital camera
3. my poloroid camera
2. acrylic paint
1. (I can only think of four right now)
So it seems it has been ages since I posted anything, and --my apologies to all-- even longer since I read anyone else's posts. So here's a quick update and then a survey thing that Rob did that I enjoyed.
My internship continues to go well. I really do love second grade. At this point I only have two weeks remaining. I will be glad to have the opportunity to attempt to get a job for which I will receive pay, but I will definitely miss my class when I leave. My big plan between November 15 and graduation on December 10 is to try to work as many substituting positions as I can. That's really all there is for me to do, as I can only officially apply for teaching positions after graduation. In January, however, I have a long-term subbing position lined up already. I will sub for slightly more than a month for a guy who teaches second grade at Hartley. I'm really excited and really grateful for that opportunity. I think it will be a good way for me to "get a foot in the door" with the principal there. I met her the other day and she seems nice, and I've heard really good things about her. In this county, you have to know people or be known by people to get a job, so if I have any hope, this is it. The position in January will prevent me from going to the Passion conference in Tennessee this year, but I'm okay with that. This is more important. Besides, I think Rob and I are planning a trip together for a little later in the spring.
All else in life is basically the same as ever. All is well, church is good, I love Rob, I'm always broke... you know, the usual. Speaking of church, Anastasia really is one of the biggest blessings in my life. I have the most incredible group of friends I could ever hope for; I'm constantly fed spiritually in everything we do with church; there's a sense of accountability among us. It's just really cool. Rob and I have been in the rotation of people who teach our Sunday school Bible study lately, which has been good. I think it's good for us, too, because not only are we being stretched by teaching, the opportunity itself also gives us a specific reason to be in the Word together. We're both in the Word seperately and share with each other about it, but when we have to plan for a Bible study lesson it's nice to read the same passage and talk about it in depth. It's cool how God always uses things to bless those who "do" it and those who "receive" it. Aside from Sunday school, we've been visiting Treaty Park weekly (every Sunday afternoon) with "the group" for Ultimate Frisbee. It really is a good time. There's not a competitive or athletic bone in my body, but surprisingly, I do enjoy playing quite a bit.
Last night we went on our annual camping trip. There was some mistake with the scheduling at Anastasia State Park however, so we wound up camping out on Charlee's sister's property. When I heard that idea, I was less than enthused about it, but we went, and it was actually really good. Good, but FREEZING COLD! I slept in the back of Ryan's car with four layers of clothes on and a massive blanket and I was still cold. But all in all, it was worth it.
Okay, that's really all I have to say on my own, so I will now fill out a survey.
10 years ago: 10 Years ago I was 12. I was in 6th grade, which was my first year at Trinity Christian Academy. Personality-wise, this was probably the weirdest year of my life! I was at a new school with a new group of friends, there were lots of cute boys, and, well, I was a 6th grade girl. I had a crush on Daniel Pride and probably made a fool of myself at least every other day because of it in one way or another (not sure that anyone else really ever noticed though).
5 years ago: I was 17 and a junior in high-school. I was on student council, so the big event of the year was planning the Jr./Sr. Banquet. That was a lot of fun. I had rediculously short hair, marched in the band, had braces (but got them off that year), joined VIP (our school choir), and was transitioning out of being best friends with Jessie. Spirit week for homecoming was way fun that year. I also tried out for All-State Choir and made the all-girls SSAA group. That was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life. I think I was pretty much between major crushes at the time, so no interesting notes there.
2 years ago: I was a junior at Flagler, although it was only my second year there. I dated Andrew for a very short time. I had the most diverse group of friends that I've ever had in all my life. I spent New Year's Eve in Times Square with my friends... awesome trip... we rode the train, which was a mistake; we house-hopped from night to night; we were really, officially ON OUR OWN in NYC! Transitioned groups of friends second semester. Was still living with Laci in the dorms, and Krissy and Erica were our suite-mates... the beginning of wonderful friendships.
1 year ago: I was 21, which means I drank for the first time in my life (yes, I really did wait for my 21st birthday). I was home from a summer in Canton, GA, and was finally living off-campus in a house. My interest in photography finally was awarded when I was at long-last able to take a photography class (both semesters). Rob and I had started hanging out, were clearly interested in each other, and would soon start dating (November 20th, to be exact). By the end of 2004 I had met Rob's family in South Florida, and they loved me, which was reassuring. In January I went to the Passion conference, which was amazing.
Yesterday: Was Friday. I went to work (internship) like usual. We actually had a pretty fun day because we got to do some fun activities in class that were a little out of the usual routine. I came home and took a nap before heading to our annual camping trip, which had to be relocated. I froze my butt off all night.
Snacks I enjoy: creamcicle ice cream from Veronica's store, cheese crackers, bananas, most everything else
What would I do with 100 Million Dollars? Tithe/give extra money to the church... it would be such a blessing to be in the position where I could give as much as I felt like giving without being held back by limited finances! I'd do something really special for both my grandmothers... I would say buy them new homes, but I don't think either of them really would want that, so I'd do something else really nice. I'd buy my parents a house on the water somewhere... my dad always wanted me to be a doctor or something so I could do that, so since I'm a teacher and won't ever be in that position otherwise, I'd use some of this money. I'd take my mom on a shopping spree. After the awesome wedding that Rob plans to pay for with his $100 Million, I'd take a freaking amazing honeymoon to some crazy-cool places in Europe or something. Oh, and I'd buy an upright bass!!! And after buying a sweet house for me and Rob, I'd make sure there was an amazing music room to play it in. (How far does $100 Million go? I'm sure I still have a ways...) I'd find some way to invest huge in the education system in a way that would make a direct impact on kids who need it most.
Top 5 places I would run away to?
Oh gosh... I don't know.
5. A suburb of Atlant: just a great place... near lots stuff I love
4. Tennessee: simply for the beauty of it
3. NYC: I'd like to try living there for a while
2. Chicago: I'd live in the museums!
1. London: I absolutely love that place!
5 things I would never wear:
5. men's underware (whitie-tighties... I'm not opposed to wearing boxers for sleeping in or whatever)
4. a thong... just not for me
3. a true mini-skirt
2. cowboy boots
1. a mu-mu (not sure how to spell it)
5 bad habits: (in no particular order)
5. getting too easily annoyed
4. being selfish
3. being lazy
2. not being considerate when speaking my mind
1. being a hypocrite in the little things
5 biggest joys: (again, no particular order)
5. church
4. Rob
3. St.Augustine
2. spirit-and-truth worship
1. Allison Harper Lee (my baby niece)
5 favorite toys: (currently)
5. Brett (my car)
4. Rob's digital camera
3. my poloroid camera
2. acrylic paint
1. (I can only think of four right now)
Oct 18, 2005
Oct 12, 2005
quick post...
I promised a "to be continued" post, so here it is. Friday night Rob and I had a nice quiet dinner of enchiladas and wine, followed by the special outing, which was to Gypsy Comedy Club. It was really a lot of fun. I like birthdays, especially when I get the opportunity to do something for someone I love.
School is going well this week. Nothing terribly exciting to report. OH, OH... except for something really awesome, which has nothing to do with what I'm doing right now, but rather what I will be doing in the future. Judi, my supervisor who does my observations, knows a guy who teaches second grade at Hartley Elementary (south St.Augustine). He and his wife are adopting a little baby soon, and he will be taking off on paternal leave for January and February and will need a substitute. Judi recommended me, and it looks like it might work out! I'm taking my sub training class next Wednesday, so from that point on I will be a St.Johns county sub, which is good anyway, but if I can do this long-term sub job it will be really great. It will not only give me a good two months of experience, but also will give me an "in" with the principal at Hartley. Full-time positions are hard to come by in St.Johns county because of the number of applicants, so any kind of experience or connections you have are to your benefit. Also, Rob made a good point when he said that if I have that job for two months, I will be able to make enough money that I can afford not to work full time for a little while after that so I can go to interviews and what-not. Long-term sub positions make a little better money too, so that would be another plus. Anyway, I'm eager to see how this all turns out. It's looking very promising! I just think it's cool how good God is, because I just prayed about the job thing with the girls on Sunday, and on Tuesday morning I found out about this. How cool is that!
Okay, so that's all for now. I have things that need to be done! Later!
I promised a "to be continued" post, so here it is. Friday night Rob and I had a nice quiet dinner of enchiladas and wine, followed by the special outing, which was to Gypsy Comedy Club. It was really a lot of fun. I like birthdays, especially when I get the opportunity to do something for someone I love.
School is going well this week. Nothing terribly exciting to report. OH, OH... except for something really awesome, which has nothing to do with what I'm doing right now, but rather what I will be doing in the future. Judi, my supervisor who does my observations, knows a guy who teaches second grade at Hartley Elementary (south St.Augustine). He and his wife are adopting a little baby soon, and he will be taking off on paternal leave for January and February and will need a substitute. Judi recommended me, and it looks like it might work out! I'm taking my sub training class next Wednesday, so from that point on I will be a St.Johns county sub, which is good anyway, but if I can do this long-term sub job it will be really great. It will not only give me a good two months of experience, but also will give me an "in" with the principal at Hartley. Full-time positions are hard to come by in St.Johns county because of the number of applicants, so any kind of experience or connections you have are to your benefit. Also, Rob made a good point when he said that if I have that job for two months, I will be able to make enough money that I can afford not to work full time for a little while after that so I can go to interviews and what-not. Long-term sub positions make a little better money too, so that would be another plus. Anyway, I'm eager to see how this all turns out. It's looking very promising! I just think it's cool how good God is, because I just prayed about the job thing with the girls on Sunday, and on Tuesday morning I found out about this. How cool is that!
Okay, so that's all for now. I have things that need to be done! Later!
Oct 7, 2005
lately the weather has been so bipolar and consequently so have i...
The title is a Relient K quote that has been my theme this week. All the rain gets me in a weird mood. Luckily, I think the rain has ended, for now at least.
Sorry for the lack of posting lately. Right now I'm in the computer lab at school watching Theresa's class while she has a meeting with Mrs.Stevens. Life is staying pretty busy. Posting is sort of last on the list of things to do.
Current News: Sunday is Rob's birthday. We're going out to celebrate tonight. I'm really excited, mostly because I get to surprise him. All I've told him is I'm making dinner, and then we're "going somewhere." It'll be a lot of fun! I'll report back after the fact to let you know what we did.
Allie's birthday is in a few weeks, as well. (Happy Birthday, Al!)
I spoke last night at Fusion. It was brief, but I said what I wanted to say, and I think it went pretty well. Rob mentioned afterward that he would have liked for me to say more, but it was really just one of those times where I didn't have anything else to say. I really think God wanted me to keep it simple last night. I'm not sure why, but I'm sure He had a purpose! (He knows what He's doing!) I used the song we sang as kids in church... "The wise man built his house upon the rock..."
... to be continued...
The title is a Relient K quote that has been my theme this week. All the rain gets me in a weird mood. Luckily, I think the rain has ended, for now at least.
Sorry for the lack of posting lately. Right now I'm in the computer lab at school watching Theresa's class while she has a meeting with Mrs.Stevens. Life is staying pretty busy. Posting is sort of last on the list of things to do.
Current News: Sunday is Rob's birthday. We're going out to celebrate tonight. I'm really excited, mostly because I get to surprise him. All I've told him is I'm making dinner, and then we're "going somewhere." It'll be a lot of fun! I'll report back after the fact to let you know what we did.
Allie's birthday is in a few weeks, as well. (Happy Birthday, Al!)
I spoke last night at Fusion. It was brief, but I said what I wanted to say, and I think it went pretty well. Rob mentioned afterward that he would have liked for me to say more, but it was really just one of those times where I didn't have anything else to say. I really think God wanted me to keep it simple last night. I'm not sure why, but I'm sure He had a purpose! (He knows what He's doing!) I used the song we sang as kids in church... "The wise man built his house upon the rock..."
... to be continued...
Sep 23, 2005
survey time!!!
10 favorites...
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Food: Japanese
Favorite Song: Today, "The Luckiest"
Favorite Sport: eh
Favorite Season: late fall
Favorite Day Of The Week: Sunday or Friday
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: vanilla
Favorite Time Of Day: I love the time shortly after dawn but hate getting up for it.
Favorite Painting: "The Oxbow"... sadly, I no longer have my VisArt book, and I can't remember who painted it.
Favorite Place: the beach at night
9 Currents...
Current Mood: Relaxed
Current Taste: aftertaste of a stale cracker
Current Clothes: favorite jeans and R.B.Hunt Elementary T-shirt (it's Friday)
Current Desktop Picture: a macro-close-up of a white flower with water on its petals
Current Toenail Color: None
Current Time: 5:28pm
Current Surroundings: "the nook" at the house
Current Annoyance(s): personal lack of discipline
Current Thought: I love that Rob's thought was that he wants to take me to Chicago
8 Firsts...
First Best Friend: Allison Adams (still is!); also Melody Neal
First Kiss: Andrew
First Screen Name: meglee786
First Pet: Sweetpea and Cindy (they were both around when I was born)
First Piercing: ears
First Crush: either Colton from church or Josh from 1st grade... but Josh was a bigger deal!
First Music: Southern Gospel (my dad's music)
First Car: 1994 Nissan Sentra
7 Lasts...
Last Cigarette: never
Last Drink: any beverage: a Diet Coke after the kids left this afternoon; alcoholic: a sangria on my birthday last Friday
Last Car Ride: home from school, with a stop at Flagler
Last Kiss: Last night after Fusion
Last Movie Seen: can't even remember.
Last Phone Call: Rob about 10 minutes ago
Last CD Played: a mix CD from Rob from our 6 month anneversary
6 Have You Evers...
Have You Ever Dated One Of Your Best Friends: no
Have You Ever Broken the Law: Yes, but only by speeding and other minor traffic stuff
Have You Ever Been Arrested: no
Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: no
Have You Ever Been On TV: yes!
Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn't Know: no
5 Things...
5 Things You're Wearing: watch, neclace, rings, favorite jeans, favorite underwear (I'm wearing other stuff, too, for the record)
5 Things You've Done Today: administered the final portion of a reading curriculum skills test, administered a spelling test, read a Johnny Appleseed book, made applesauce, felt like "the real teacher" (Judy's out of town)
5 Things You Can Hear Right Now: Marilyn's blender, my typing, the fan of my computer, Marilyn popping ice cubes from the trays, the AC
5 Things You Can't Live Without: ice water, sunglasses, blue pens, air conditioning, organization
5 Things You Do When You're Bored: organize, eat, drive, read blogs, sleep
4 Places You've Been...
1. Chicago
2. New York City
3. London
4. Paris
3 People You Can Tell (most) Anything...
1. God (I'm supposed to say that)
2. Allie
3. Rob
2 Choices...
1. Black or White: Black
2. Hot or Cold: Cold
1 Wish...
to always be joyful
10 favorites...
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Food: Japanese
Favorite Song: Today, "The Luckiest"
Favorite Sport: eh
Favorite Season: late fall
Favorite Day Of The Week: Sunday or Friday
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: vanilla
Favorite Time Of Day: I love the time shortly after dawn but hate getting up for it.
Favorite Painting: "The Oxbow"... sadly, I no longer have my VisArt book, and I can't remember who painted it.
Favorite Place: the beach at night
9 Currents...
Current Mood: Relaxed
Current Taste: aftertaste of a stale cracker
Current Clothes: favorite jeans and R.B.Hunt Elementary T-shirt (it's Friday)
Current Desktop Picture: a macro-close-up of a white flower with water on its petals
Current Toenail Color: None
Current Time: 5:28pm
Current Surroundings: "the nook" at the house
Current Annoyance(s): personal lack of discipline
Current Thought: I love that Rob's thought was that he wants to take me to Chicago
8 Firsts...
First Best Friend: Allison Adams (still is!); also Melody Neal
First Kiss: Andrew
First Screen Name: meglee786
First Pet: Sweetpea and Cindy (they were both around when I was born)
First Piercing: ears
First Crush: either Colton from church or Josh from 1st grade... but Josh was a bigger deal!
First Music: Southern Gospel (my dad's music)
First Car: 1994 Nissan Sentra
7 Lasts...
Last Cigarette: never
Last Drink: any beverage: a Diet Coke after the kids left this afternoon; alcoholic: a sangria on my birthday last Friday
Last Car Ride: home from school, with a stop at Flagler
Last Kiss: Last night after Fusion
Last Movie Seen: can't even remember.
Last Phone Call: Rob about 10 minutes ago
Last CD Played: a mix CD from Rob from our 6 month anneversary
6 Have You Evers...
Have You Ever Dated One Of Your Best Friends: no
Have You Ever Broken the Law: Yes, but only by speeding and other minor traffic stuff
Have You Ever Been Arrested: no
Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: no
Have You Ever Been On TV: yes!
Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn't Know: no
5 Things...
5 Things You're Wearing: watch, neclace, rings, favorite jeans, favorite underwear (I'm wearing other stuff, too, for the record)
5 Things You've Done Today: administered the final portion of a reading curriculum skills test, administered a spelling test, read a Johnny Appleseed book, made applesauce, felt like "the real teacher" (Judy's out of town)
5 Things You Can Hear Right Now: Marilyn's blender, my typing, the fan of my computer, Marilyn popping ice cubes from the trays, the AC
5 Things You Can't Live Without: ice water, sunglasses, blue pens, air conditioning, organization
5 Things You Do When You're Bored: organize, eat, drive, read blogs, sleep
4 Places You've Been...
1. Chicago
2. New York City
3. London
4. Paris
3 People You Can Tell (most) Anything...
1. God (I'm supposed to say that)
2. Allie
3. Rob
2 Choices...
1. Black or White: Black
2. Hot or Cold: Cold
1 Wish...
to always be joyful
Sep 19, 2005
scattered thoughts...
...feels like home...
"...there's something in your voice that makes my heart beat fast... hope this feeling lasts the rest of my life..."
-----
We had ladies' Bible study tonight, and at the end Kathy gave us a copy of something Mrs.Phyllis uses a lot. It's originally from this little pamphlet thing called "Not I but Christ." It lists some characteristics of certain sins that identify a "self life" or one that is focused on "me" instead of Christ. Some of the sins are a secret sense of pride, love of human praise, the stirrings of anger or impatience, self-will, carnal fear, a jealous disposition, a dishonest or deceitful disposition, unbelief, and selfishness. Each one is accompanied by a brief description. As I read through them, I was reminded, NOT for the first time, of how personal or private or even hidden most of my sins are. Many of the descriptions on this sheet used the word "secret" or referred to these sins being "a spirit of..." That's me. People look at me and see a good person. I'm definitely not saying that I never do things that affect other people... that's certainly not the case. But MOST of the things I struggle with are not things that other people can see. I'm not sure where I'm going with this. It was just on my mind tonight. I think it's just the whole idea that it doesn't matter how good people may think we are, what really matters is what is in our heart. This all reminded me of a quote from Girl Meets God, a book I read this summer. The author, Lauren, is speaking of her experience as a Jew in this passage:
I think that sums up the reality of it. No matter how good we think we are, or how good other people think we are, we are still completely detestable in comparison to the holiness of God. He is so completely perfect. We are COMPLETELY imperfect. Like Kathy said tonight, partial disobedience is total disobedience. There's no middle ground. God is perfect and we are sinners. Period. I have to remind myself of that. Sometimes I let Satan tell me that if other people don't see my sin, then I'm fine. If it's not affecting someone else, then I'm fine. That's SUCH a LIE! What is awesome though is that we, as Christians, are no longer defined as "sinners." God changed our name and now we are His. He has made us holy, which is a complete contradiction in logic to everything I just said. Such dichotomy! We, sinners, can now be seen as holy by the perfectly holy Creator. Simply amazing!
That's all I have to say about that for tonight. I'm not even sure where that all came from! I guess it's just what God was speaking to me. That's not even what our Bible study was about! Anyway, just thought I'd share.
-----
I had an observation today at school. That's where my supervisor from Flagler comes to watch me teach a lesson and evaluates how I'm doing. This was my second one. My first one I really wasn't nervous about at all, and it went pretty well. This one, for whatever reason, I was kind of nervous about. It was a "bigger" lesson, so that may have been a factor, but I was nervous, none-the-less. Anyway, I taught the lesson, and it went well, although I'm never sure if other people feel the same way, so I was still a little apprehensive about hearing what my supervisor had to say. But she spoke with me after the lesson, and everything she said was just so encouraging. She complimented specific things about the lesson, as well as general things about me as a teacher, both of which were greatly appreciated. I was really put at ease by everything she said. What was cool was that some of the things she mentioned were things that I had consciously thought about and wondered if they were going well or if I was doing good enough, and she specifically pointed them out as things that were in fact going well. When that happens, I am very encouraged. It just seems like such confirmation that this is where I should be. So needless to say, it was a good morning.
-----
There's a verse that God has frequently and consistently brought to my mind over the past three years. I won't say too much about it now, as this post is growing in length, but here it is.
"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12
This just reminds me that God knows the desires of our hearts, and He understands that our hearts are in pain when we have to wait for what we want. But the cool thing is that we get to experience such a huge blessing when the time comes for us to receive whatever it is that we are waiting for.
-----
I think I'm speaking the first Thursday of October at Fusion. We're meeting at the beach pavilion that night. My current idea for the message is based on the song we sang as kids in church... "the wise man built his house upon the rock... and the rains came tumbling down." If it all works out, it should be a lot of fun and hopefully a simple message that people will remember and learn from.
-----
So that's all for tonight. None of these thoughts are particularly connected in any way. That's how my brain was working today. Hope you enjoyed. Later.
...feels like home...
"...there's something in your voice that makes my heart beat fast... hope this feeling lasts the rest of my life..."
-----
We had ladies' Bible study tonight, and at the end Kathy gave us a copy of something Mrs.Phyllis uses a lot. It's originally from this little pamphlet thing called "Not I but Christ." It lists some characteristics of certain sins that identify a "self life" or one that is focused on "me" instead of Christ. Some of the sins are a secret sense of pride, love of human praise, the stirrings of anger or impatience, self-will, carnal fear, a jealous disposition, a dishonest or deceitful disposition, unbelief, and selfishness. Each one is accompanied by a brief description. As I read through them, I was reminded, NOT for the first time, of how personal or private or even hidden most of my sins are. Many of the descriptions on this sheet used the word "secret" or referred to these sins being "a spirit of..." That's me. People look at me and see a good person. I'm definitely not saying that I never do things that affect other people... that's certainly not the case. But MOST of the things I struggle with are not things that other people can see. I'm not sure where I'm going with this. It was just on my mind tonight. I think it's just the whole idea that it doesn't matter how good people may think we are, what really matters is what is in our heart. This all reminded me of a quote from Girl Meets God, a book I read this summer. The author, Lauren, is speaking of her experience as a Jew in this passage:
And on Yom Kippur, people pray, corporately, for God's forgiveness. Part of the Yom Kippur liturgy is a long confession, Vidui, a long list of sins committed: bribery, slandery, lust, gossip, insolence, envy, theft. Once, a Jewish man went to his rabbi and asked, "Why am I confessing all these sins? I didn't commit half of them. I haven't stolen anything or bribed anyone or told lies." The rabbi looked at the man and said, "If you understood the glory and grandeur of God, you would realize you had committed each of these sins, every day of your life.
I think that sums up the reality of it. No matter how good we think we are, or how good other people think we are, we are still completely detestable in comparison to the holiness of God. He is so completely perfect. We are COMPLETELY imperfect. Like Kathy said tonight, partial disobedience is total disobedience. There's no middle ground. God is perfect and we are sinners. Period. I have to remind myself of that. Sometimes I let Satan tell me that if other people don't see my sin, then I'm fine. If it's not affecting someone else, then I'm fine. That's SUCH a LIE! What is awesome though is that we, as Christians, are no longer defined as "sinners." God changed our name and now we are His. He has made us holy, which is a complete contradiction in logic to everything I just said. Such dichotomy! We, sinners, can now be seen as holy by the perfectly holy Creator. Simply amazing!
That's all I have to say about that for tonight. I'm not even sure where that all came from! I guess it's just what God was speaking to me. That's not even what our Bible study was about! Anyway, just thought I'd share.
-----
I had an observation today at school. That's where my supervisor from Flagler comes to watch me teach a lesson and evaluates how I'm doing. This was my second one. My first one I really wasn't nervous about at all, and it went pretty well. This one, for whatever reason, I was kind of nervous about. It was a "bigger" lesson, so that may have been a factor, but I was nervous, none-the-less. Anyway, I taught the lesson, and it went well, although I'm never sure if other people feel the same way, so I was still a little apprehensive about hearing what my supervisor had to say. But she spoke with me after the lesson, and everything she said was just so encouraging. She complimented specific things about the lesson, as well as general things about me as a teacher, both of which were greatly appreciated. I was really put at ease by everything she said. What was cool was that some of the things she mentioned were things that I had consciously thought about and wondered if they were going well or if I was doing good enough, and she specifically pointed them out as things that were in fact going well. When that happens, I am very encouraged. It just seems like such confirmation that this is where I should be. So needless to say, it was a good morning.
-----
There's a verse that God has frequently and consistently brought to my mind over the past three years. I won't say too much about it now, as this post is growing in length, but here it is.
"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12
This just reminds me that God knows the desires of our hearts, and He understands that our hearts are in pain when we have to wait for what we want. But the cool thing is that we get to experience such a huge blessing when the time comes for us to receive whatever it is that we are waiting for.
-----
I think I'm speaking the first Thursday of October at Fusion. We're meeting at the beach pavilion that night. My current idea for the message is based on the song we sang as kids in church... "the wise man built his house upon the rock... and the rains came tumbling down." If it all works out, it should be a lot of fun and hopefully a simple message that people will remember and learn from.
-----
So that's all for tonight. None of these thoughts are particularly connected in any way. That's how my brain was working today. Hope you enjoyed. Later.
