Gather round children.  I’m going to tell you a story.  Although it might seem fictional to you, I can assure you it’s very real.  The story took place on Monday of this week.  The rain was falling.  Fitz, my cat, was cuddled at my feet as I typed on the computer.  I was working on completing blogs for this week.  I was searching for a picture to match Tuesday’s blog when I ran across a picture that I didn’t remember seeing before. Two people appeared in the picture.  A young girl with beautiful, long hair striking a pose in her fashionably ripped jean shorts.  Behind her, striking an equally enthusiastic…

I’ve mentioned before that I don’t like failure.  It unsettles me.  It makes me feel less than.  You may have realized that I’m super critical of myself.  My idea of failure is sometimes different.  But I have a perfect example of a time that I failed miserably.  It’s not debatable.  It’s just a fact. I’ve been driving since I was like five.  No, my feet couldn’t reach the pedals.  But ya’ll know I was raised in the country.  It was just us out there.  When we were almost home, my mama would put me in her lap and let me “steer” us to the house.  I was thrilled! My aunt…

Studying my Sunday School lesson takes me down different avenues.  Countless concepts jump out at me and command my attention.  While going over the lesson this week, I was entranced by the Greek origin of the word hypocrite.  In the Greek, it means actor.  It was a description of the people who perform on the stage.  They put on different masks to fit the character that they were responsible for portraying. How interesting!  We retained much of the meaning of the word in the English language.  People often classify members of the church as hypocrites.  They believe that we’re actors.  We put on our church masks for Sundays and tuck…

Sometimes, I’m clumsy. I have dropped glasses and bowls, and they have shattered. My next move is to yell out a warning to anyone in the vicinity. “Get back! I broke something. There are sharp pieces everywhere!” Then I pull out the broom and dust pan and sweep all of the pieces up and put them in the trash. After sweeping, I’m still cautious. I might have missed a shard of glass. I don’t want to step on one unexpectedly. Back when I started this blog, I shared that at times I’ve felt broken. Shattered even. Beyond repair. I’ve spent much of my time lately focused on improving my mental,…

The hallways at my job are always filled with people in motion.  The crowd might be parents dropping off or picking up their children.  Sometimes classrooms are on their way to the bathroom or waiting for their friends to come out of the bathroom.  Or, it might be therapists with their clients transitioning to, or from, therapy.  No matter the time of the day, there are always people in the halls. That means that there are always people to watch.  There are always people to distract my friends as they transition to my office.  I find that I spend much of the time on the way to, and from, my…

Standards.  Everyone has them, but they’re not all the same for each person.  Even people who were raised in the same home can have different standards.  I have standards for the bread that I use to make sandwiches.  I’m not overly fond of the butts of the loaf of bread.  When talking to Bible Study Mama and Brother the other day, I discovered that they LOVE the butts of a loaf of bread.  We lived together for years, and I never noticed this.  I have standards for my coffee.  I’m not really a die-hard coffee drinker, so I take my coffee with lots of cream and sugar.  The lighter the…

Houston is full of fond memories for me.  I met amazing people and got to have the coolest experiences.  And, of course, the food is AMAZING!  If you’re looking to have a straight up food vacation, go to Houston.  You won’t be disappointed.  One of my favorite memories in Houston involves my friend inviting me to a salsa class. My friend was vibrant and full of life.  She knew I was a square and was determined to show me a good time in the city that had her heart.  So, off to salsa we went.  I had several reservations.  I’m the queen of the introverts.  Not only was this an…

Do you remember your dreams when you wake up in the morning?  I do.  When I was in my twenties, I kept a little notebook beside the bed.  I would write my dreams down in the morning.  Someone had gifted me a book about the meaning of dreams, so I wanted to keep track of what was happening in my dream world. Like most new adventures I delve into, it didn’t last long.  I quickly tired of keeping a record.  I’m sad that I didn’t continue.  Will I start back?  Maybe.  But right now, I’m focused on the dreams that I have when I’m awake. Do you currently have big…

I love pictures. My family knows that, so they’re used to me constantly getting candid shots at events. I spend so much time behind the camera that seeing myself in photos can be jarring. My undergraduate graduation picture is just one such example. Despite my initial reluctance about going to college, I managed to graduate. What a joyous occasion! So, I anxiously awaited my official graduation picture. I wanted to see a visual representation of my achievement. Boy was I disappointed when I saw the picture. I could not get over how fat I was! I turned to Bible Study Mama and exclaimed, “Why didn’t you tell me?!?!” As a…

Yesterday was an eventful day.  Mondays are typically sermon recaps.  And I’ll definitely recap the sermon.  But in the midst of all of my planning, life happened.  It would be foolish to ignore the fact that Kobe Bryant, his thirteen-year-old daughter, and seven other people lost their lives in a helicopter crash.  So unexpected.  Unbelievable.  Heartbreaking. While my day was going along yesterday, his wife got a phone call that I know had the power to take her breath, knock her off her feet, and leave her speechless.  Has anyone else had a perfectly planned day and then life happened?  I’m not one of those people that can say I…