Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet!

I may be totally alone on this vent, but that's okay. It won't hurt my feelings if you don't agree with what I'm going to say about Halloween. As a Christian, I have never been fond of the day and all it contains.

First of all, Halloween is a day that is set aside to dress like someone or something else. Okay, there's no harm in wearing a costume, but why the need for blood, guts, skeletons, fangs, death, etc.? And why are children dressing as monsters, killers, street walkers, etc.? Now, I don't have a problem with dressing as cute animals or cartoon characters, or even police and firemen. It's cute. I just don't think we need to give the freaks of the world any more freedom to make us all feel creepy!

Second, trick or treating... What is it that makes lazy parents want to take their lazy kids from door to door to get tons of treats that aren't healthy. Don't get me wrong, I can totally eat some major chocolate!!!! But, my problem is that parents around here DRIVE their kids from door to door. GIVE ME A BREAK!!!! When I was a kid, we walked on sidewalks and in yards to go from door to door in OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD!!!!! And when we were still young, our parents walked with us (usually holding our hands). I never remember riding all over town to the rich neighborhoods just to be greedy for candy!!!! The true nightmare of Halloween is the TRAFFIC caused by lazy parents who literally drive from house to house. Come on! There was a truck parked in the middle of one of the busiest streets in my town with it's flashers on so that the kids could go to a door for candy. It caused a major traffic problem. What's so bad about walking with your kids? If you must go to other neighborhoods, park your car in a safe place and then walk around the neighborhood.

I realize that some of my readers may like the whole trick-or-treat thing. I am not against the idea, I just think YOU SHOULD WALK!!!!! After all, wouldn't it be good to burn off some of the calories you consume from all the candy?

Happy Birthday, Julie!

I'd like to send birthday wishes out to my best friend, Julie! I'll say a bit more about her later, but just wanted to get this on today!

Julie, Happy Birthday, and thanks for being a blessing to Patrick and me!!!

Hope your day is superb!!!!

What a Week!

It's been kind of a whirlwind week. Last Thursday, my husband and I went to see Casting Crowns in concert. We didn't get there as early as we would have liked, but we still managed to get pretty good seats. Although the concert started out kind of slow, it ended up being wonderful. I am glad that I had been learning all of the words to the new album. I sang along so loud that my voice was scratchy the next day. It's been quite a while since I have attended any concert that loud. But, it was amazing to worship God with so many people from different faiths, ages, walks of life, and different hometowns. I'm not sure that the concert was in the best possible venue, but we still had a good time.

On Saturday, my mother, sister, sister's fiance, and my husband and I all traveled to the Houston area to visit with family and friends for a bridal shower. I was so thankful for the good time we had. My aunts and cousins threw a great party. It was nice to see that they still love us and care for us even though circumstances have kept us apart for a long time. Sunday, we drove home listening to a very exciting Houston Texans game on the radio! That game was a heart-breaker!

I woke up before the sun on Monday and headed to my all-too-often trip to my doctor in Dallas. Unfortunately, I failed to pay attention to any weather forecasts and got caught in the very cold and wet weather in short sleeves and no jacket. BURRRR!!!! The appointment did not go that well, but I was so happy the weather was finally becoming fall-like. Thanks to my loving husband, when I returned to work, I was able change into more appropriate clothing and my jacket. The weather since then has been beautiful, but it makes me want to be anywhere but work.

This week has also been a trial because of issues with the house we live in. It seems like every time we have everything working, something else falls apart. Even though the homeowner has repaired the leaky faucet, we are still dealing with a garage door opener that does not work. It's the 21st century...I shouldn't have to get out of my car to open and close the garage door under my own power. There's a reason openers were invented.

There is a bright spot in the week...Friday, our football game is in the town where our good friends Julie and Darin live. We will get to see them and I'm looking forward to that. Julie's birthday is Saturday so I will get to wish her a Happy B-day in person!

I know that this post has been a bit more "journal-like" than most of my blogs, but I just wanted to write it all down! Thanks for listening. Hope you aren't too bored.

God, I thank you for being present in my life during the good times and the bad. Open my eyes to the work you are doing in me, even when I am not expecting it...especially when I'm not expecting it. Help me to worship you even when my garage door doesn't shut.

Kinley's Day

I'd like to take a moment to wish my niece Kinley a very happy 3rd birthday! Okay, I realize she won't be the one to read this, but maybe her mom can let her know! Kinley lives really far from us, so we don't get to see her and her sister Kayden very much. Fortunately, their mom is great about sending pics of the girls and keeping us updated! Happy Birthday Kinley!

While I'm at it...I'd like to give a shout out to Kinley's sister Kayden and to my nephews Clayton and Carter as well! Love you boys! Can't wait to spend time with you again.

Water falls and ice cream cake!

God created many amazing things. This weekend, I experienced two such creations in the same day, water falls and ice cream cake. Okay, the latter is definitely a human creation, but God created the ingredients. My mom, my sister, and I got to go to a park where there was an awesome water fall. I love the outdoors and especially water in the outdoors. I totally understand why there are so many references to water and bodies of water, streams, etc. in the Bible. There is such great imagery that can be found in water. When we finally made it home for the evening, Melody shared her birthday cake which happened to be cookies-and-cream ice cream cake. Now that was a treat.

The next day, we all worked in the pouring rain to help Melody move into her new apartment. It rained pretty much the entire time. Despite the weather, we were able to get most of her stuff moved. I had a great time with Melody and my mom, as well as Melody's fiance, Danny.

This is going to be a great week. My husband and I will be going to see Casting Crowns in concert this Thursday. Then, on Friday, Mom, Melody, and Danny are coming to town to see our football game. I couldn't care less about the game itself, just the fact that they'll be there. Saturday morning we will all travel to Baytown for a bridal shower and family gathering! I'm sure it will be an interesting weekend.

I am so thankful that God gave me a family that loves each other! There is nothing more fun than getting to spend time with the ones I love! Don't get me wrong...there can be drama but I can't imagine experiencing life without them.

My Sister, My Friend

I wanted to devote my blog today to the greatest sister in the world - my sister Melody!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MELODY!

It is such a blessing to have a sister who is also your best friend. Although we've had our rare differences of opinion (as most sisters do), we are very close. I admire Melody for many reasons. She was ahead of me in all of our schooling, including the same college. Yes, I had the occasional teacher call me by her name or expect me to do things the same way she did, but we were different. I think the fact that she was such a great student and I am so competitive helped me to make good grades also. I was constantly trying to out-do her. Only in a couple of classes did I actually do better (i.e. Music History with Dr. Keck). Melody's strive for excellence propelled me to do the same both academically and musically. It was because of her top ten finish in high school that I tried to do the same. Of course, I transferred to a school with a larger graduating class, so I missed it by two slots. But, who's counting. Melody is a wonderful big sis. I was a typical little sis. It was not unusual for me to hang out with the same friends and hitch rides to everything they did. It was also not unusual for me to beg her for help on certain class assignments.

I admire Melody because of the diligence she has maintained in every area of her life. After finishing a four-year Bachelor of Music degree, she moved off on her own pretty far from us. She thrived. While away, Melody followed the Lord's calling on her life to go back to school. Even though it meant taking on more responsibilities than she wanted, including taking care of an ailing step-parent, she pursued a nursing degree and now uses that to help patients heal and get back to normal lives. Her caring attitude, self-less personality, and great organizational skills have all impressed those in her charge.

It is with great appreciation that I wish Melody a happy birthday. Presently, she is planning her wedding that is set for next month. She is so deserving of what God has done for her and what He will do!

I love you, Melody!

Caught in the Middle

I have been listening to the newest album from one of my favorite groups, Casting Crowns. On my trip to and from my doctor this morning, I was singing and air drumming like crazy. I am sure the people next to me during Dallas rush hour must have thought I was having a seizure of some kind. Music makes me live. Without it, I hate to imagine what my life would be. It's not just the words that move me... it is literally every detail (tempo, meter, rhythm, harmonies, melody, instrumentation). I believe that God speaks to me through music because he knows I'm not a huge reader. Sometimes he shows me things in music that I probably have been overlooking in other things.

So, what's the deal with my title for today? One of the songs on the album is titled "Somewhere in the Middle." The basic point is that we are so often caught in the middle of where we have been and where we should be. The words of the song slapped me in the face today. I couldn't help but cry as I realized that's where I spend most of my time.

"Somewhere between hot and cold - Somewhere between the new and the old - Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be - Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me. ... Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me... Deep water faith in the shallow end ... But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle ... Somewhere between my faith and my plans"

I wish I could include all of the words. My excerpts do not do the song justice. If you haven't heard this album, you should. God is still working on me. I am so thankful for that because I'm definitely not a finished product. God loves me even when I'm caught in the middle of personal control and total surrender to Him. He heals me when I fall, He hears me when I call. He understands that I am still a work in progress, too often caught in the middle of what I want and what He wants for me.

It's Bubbling, It's Bubbling...

It's bubbling in my soul. Since Jesus was laughing, since Jesus made me whole!

Okay, I don't think those are the real words, but that's the way my mom told me that I used to sing it. And, you know what? It's just fun to sing it that way.

I'm bubbly right now because I've had a great day. Despite a late start, you know, those mornings when saying hello to the world is the last thing you want to do, I got up and faced the world (or at least the people at the local YMCA). For the second day in a row, I found the secret to using one of those elliptical machines. It has been something I've wanted to do for a long time. But, every time I've tried, I have admitted defeat. I'm just not that coordinated. Until now. I finally figured it out, and it is a major work out. I was excited to burn the same number of calories in less time than using the treadmill. Don't get me wrong, I am no where near where I need to be, but at least, I'm on my way.

Although I got to work a bit late, my day continued to be good. I got to work with some students today in a smaller group, and I remembered that I do enjoy teaching others how to read music. It's a passion that sometimes gets buried by students' disrespect, laziness, and overall poor attitudes.

My husband and I actually left school at a decent time and decided to go see a movie. We saw the new one about the football player who is suddenly thrown into being a father. It was great. I laughed, I cried, I laughed, I cried... We both really liked the flick. I'll have to buy it when it comes out. Definitely my kind of movie.

Some other news... I started singing in the local Chorale yesterday. It is something I've wanted to do for a long time, but previous jobs did not allow that to work. I love to sing (although my skills are debatable). We are preparing for a concert of sacred hymns. It's going to be good.

I have a very early day tomorrow, so I should close it up for now.

Until next time...

The Best Things in Life...

Excuse my long absence from Blogging! I have been trying to sit down to blog this week and I keep getting interrupted. Oh well, there is more to life than blogging, although I admit I am addicted.

My husband and I just spent the best weekend ever with his family in the OKC area. Our nieces had a joint birthday party and were visiting all the way from Chicago. We got to spend an amazing time with our nephews as well. And of course, that meant we had a wonderful time with their parents (our siblings). It's the first time the six of us had been together in a long time. We always have a lot of fun together. I wish that we all lived closer to each other so that we could experience more of life together! My husband and I do not have children of our own yet, so each time we are around our nieces and nephews, it is very special. And their parents don't seem to mind us spoiling them a bit. If they do, they've never said anything. It has been a joy to see each family growing and living life in their own unique ways. There really is no better thing in life than spending time with family! I love you guys!