White {Almost} Christmas

As a late Christmas present, God gave me snow. While I don't think I could survive in a constantly snowy climate, I do love seeing snow every now and then. When my weathermen were talking about a possible white Christmas, I tried my best to resist getting too excited just in case it didn't happen. But really, I was like a little kid absolutely giddy at the thought of all the snowflakes. It was so hard to hold in my squeals of anticipation.

When I woke up yesterday morning, I was hoping to see snow but was quickly disappointed as I peeked out my window. I got myself ready for church like any other Sunday morning, periodically checking outside for any wintery activity. Not long before we left for the sevice, freezing rain started to fall and the precipitation bounced around on our patio out back. And then I squealed every time I saw a little flurry of snow swirling through the air.

We bundled up and drove the two blocks to the church, meeting a very small representation of our normal congregation. Truth be told, if we lived farther than two blocks, we probably would have skipped too. It's funny, when the choir came down after their special, the crowd on the floor doubled. Haha! Why we didn't cancel like the rest of eastern North Carolina, I've no idea. But then about halfway through the service, I was kinda glad we didn't.

While at church, the mix of flurries and freezing rain had turned to all snowflakes floating from the sky and coating the ground. I tried so very hard to pay attention to dad's sermon, but often got distracted while I watched out the window in awe. It was so cool to be singing Christmas carols and praising God while our surroundings started to look like a winter wonderland. It was so beautiful!

When the service was over, I giggled like a little girl and pressed my nose to the cold sanctuary window to watch the giant flakes fall. My new friend who just came here from Seattle didn't get the big deal, but I think he was just cranky because he's bald and didn't want his head to get cold. I didn't care about my head getting cold or even my hair getting messed up, but I certainly enjoyed dancing around in the parking lot afterwards.

Here are some pics I took of the snow...

Apart from falling on my butt twice while walking on the slippery roads shown in the third pic, this was the best Christmas weekend ever.

The Livestock's Christmas

On Sunday, we had a very interesting Bible study meeting. We deviated from our studies of the Sermon on the Mount to do a special Christmas story exercise. After reading the Christmas story from Luke 2, a few of us retold the story from the perspective of certain key characters. There was a retelling concerning Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds as anyone would expect. But I was assigned the livestock. That's right, the livestock. Here's how I think it sorta went that first Christmas night...

It was like any normal evening in that Bethlehem stable. The cows, pigs, sheep, and goats were flinging yo mama jokes across the room. Every now and then one of the cows would have the audacity to say "Your girlfriend's a heifer!" to one of the other cows. The jumpy sheep were so happy that the angry cows were in their own stalls. When the pigs weren't being obnoxious, they would ask the other animals when the food was gonna get there.

Unexpectedly, the door was opened and their owner entered with no food, but rather a couple of unfamiliar humans. As they moved sluggishly past the pigs, they snorted that these tired and sweaty people smelled worse than they did a week after their baths. The shorter of the two with the higher-pitched voice patted the heads of the shy sheep who suddenly decided they may very well like the new people who settled themselves in the corner.

They soon noticed the unusual form of the short one and some of the animals became alarmed. They asked among themselves why she was so fat. "Maybe she is sick?" a cow inquired. The pigs selfishly began asking about food for the fifteenth time that day, and then the old grumpy goat in another corner glared at the annoying swine, saying "Maybe she ate too much bacon." If only you could have heard the chorus of the animals' laughter as the pigs grunted at the joke, but to Mary and Joseph's ears it sounded of only moo's and baa's.

The stable had been calm for a while as the animals enjoyed people-watching, but then the woman started to make some less than calming noises. As she got louder, the sheep scurried as far away as possible while the cows peered out of their stalls to see what was happening. They soon regretted that. Quickly, the stable became abuzz with animal chatter, saying...

"Oh my gosh, what's happening to the woman?"

"That's not normal, is it?"

"Is she broken?"

"OH! OH GROSS! MY EYES, MY EYES!!"

"Make it stop!! MAKE IT STOP!!"

"I'll have nightmares about this for weeks!"

"Where's my food?"

"What IS that wrinkly thing?!"

"It's gross! ...but cute!! ... but gross!"

"Why are they setting it in my food trough?!?!?!"

The chatter died down as the little human looked around at all the animals. Silence fell upon them and chills went down each of their spines when they realized this was something special. This was not a normal mini human. This... this was their Creator. The one who painted the spots on the cows, carefully designed the pigs' twisty tails, and formed the legs of the frolicking sheep. Even the grumpy old goat had to fight off tears of joy as he came face to face with God himself. Their only regret was that they couldn't follow him home and see what He was here to do.

I've no idea what went through the minds of those animals that night, but it is certainly fun to imagine. In all seriousness, please remember that Christmas isn't about Santa, food, and presents. It's about remembering God's gift to us - Salvation through Jesus. Merry Christmas, my friends!

Happy Birthday To Me

Today is my birthday!!! I have turned 22 years old, and I'm expecting gray hairs and wrinkles to show up any minute now. As soon as I'm done typing this post, I'm going to do some online research for good canes. Preferably pink sparkly ones.

I've never been a fan of huge birthday parties, and nowadays I'm a little suspicious that big parties are nothing more than a scam to get as much stuff as possible from people you may or may not really care about. When I worked at a local ice cream shop, I would help with birthday parties where the honored kid would invite everyone they know and end up with a mountain of presents they couldn't even fit into the car. And many of these weren't cheap! Instead, I prefer to have my birthday with just my family.

Since I like small simple outings with my family, we went to Texas Steakhouse and had a delicious lunch. When I was stuffed full of chicken, potato, rolls, and salad, I went to work as normal but had to battle against my body's desire for hibernation. Although the fight wasn't as difficult as it would have been because my family gave me a bag of chocolate. I love my family.

Since I did some redecorating in my room, I got an early birthday present of a pretty shelf and gorgeous candle holder. It's so pretty and goes well with the Charleston pictures I have on display on the adjacent wall. Lookit!

I have never understood the tradition of cake for a birthday. In fact, I've never really understood cake to begin with. It looks super cute if done right, but it's somewhat of a disappointment to me. Sure, it looks like you're getting a huge slice of cake, but the dessert is so full of air! As soon as you get it in your mouth, it deflates as it hits saliva and gets pressured by your jaw. It promises to happify you but then disappears once it's out of your sight! Cake is nothing but lies!

But really, why have cake, when you can have brownies like I did tonight! Brownies that have just been pulled from the oven and are still hot to the touch. Brownies that are crowned by a bar of Hershey's chocolate that soon melts down the sides like wax on a candle. Brownies surrounded by freezing vanilla ice cream that creates a delicious moat around the chocolate castle. When the warm brownie, melted chocolate, and cold ice cream are on your tongue together, it's like a moment of heaven on earth. God bless my sweet mommy for making this for my birthday dessert. I did already say that I love my family, right?

So yeah, I like birthdays. I should have these more often.

Oh The Laughter!

Yesterday, my family embarked on an all-day trip to visit my grandad in Chesapeake Virginia. It was a great visit with him as we got to simply chit chat for a couple hours. But for a moment, we all had the scare of our lives as the fire alarm sounded in the super snazzy assisted living facility. Poor Grace had just got into the hallway bathroom and the alarms started the moment she flipped the "Occupied" switch. She had a hard time stumbling back out of the bathroom because the flashing lights had temporarily blinded her. I would be lying if I said I didn't laugh a little.

As opposed to Grace's discombobulation, Sam immediately went into action in the midst of the lights and annoying noises in Grandad's apartment. Being the awesome sister that she is, she grabbed my jacket and scarf and headed out of the room to investigate. As the residents told her the fire plan was that they all stay in their rooms, the giant metal hallway doors that segment the complex closed. For a moment she feared she was trapped and death was near, and she decided that if her life depended on it she would jump out of the apartment's window. She's watched enough Burn Notice to know how to do it properly.

Fortunately the whole ordeal was just a false alarm which made a good laugh among the more lighthearted residents. But really, this wouldn't have been a successful family trip if there wasn't laughter every 15 minutes. In nearly every trip, I've found myself doubled over in my seat trying to catch my breath multiple times. One of my favorite memories happened on a trip like this almost three years ago. At the time we had XM radio in our minivan and we were listening to Jeff Foxworthy on the Comedy channel. For the life of me I can't remember what he was talking about because I think my subconscious blocked it. But all six of us were painfully laughing and crying, and even dad was laughing so hard he turned cherry red and had to pull the car over on the side of that skinny rural road. For 10 minutes we continued to laugh as our sides and bellies screamed in protest.

It may have been the same trip, I don't quite remember, but once we had a little fun with a Starbucks employee. We pulled up to the drive through and were greeted with a happy male voice saying "If you can guess my name, your order is free!" Dad guessed George but then the guy said we were wrong and that his name was Anthony. We then gave our order and got our ridiculously overpriced gourmet coffee at the window. But just for gigglez, we went back to the drive through and was greeted with the same guessing game. Dad said "Your name is Anthony" and the poor shocked fella stuck his head out of the window and tried to figure out what was going on. Laughing, my dad confessed we'd already been through but just wanted to mess with him. We all waved as we left the drive though and now almost every time I hear the name "Anthony" I have to fight not to laugh.

Our trip yesterday seemed especially full of puns and laughter. During our delicious lunch with Grandad, we all ate until we couldn't stuff another fry in our faces. When asked about dessert, Grace rubbed her belly and said "There's no more room in my inn." I had no idea what she was talking about until the Christmas story reference hit me about 15 seconds later as I laughed and confessed "I just now got that." Then the rest of my table enjoyed laughing at me.

During most of the ride there, I was able to look out the window and see yesterday's snow covering the ground. It was so pretty. And then I finally got to play with some when we stopped at Grandad's place. As we were eating at the Italian restaurant, I held the Parmesan shaker and said "It looks like snow!" Sam immediately took a picture of the shaker and posted in on her Facebook saying "No Mandy, this is a Parmesan container, not a snow globe." I would have tried shaking it, but then that would've had the urge to lick it off the table that's just unsanitary. Here's a pic of my little snow globe friend...

On our way home, we passed a field of cows. One of them was running and it struck Sam funny, so she imitated it complete with totally un-cow-like sound effects and awkward arm motions. I love Sam, but for a moment she looked mentally challenged. She claims she was imitating the cow who appeared to her as mentally challenged, but I don't believe her. Challenged or not, her funny face and unusual antics made her sisters erupt in laughter and a chorus of "DO IT AGAIN!"

During this laughing fit, tears freely rolled down my cheeks and I used tissue after tissue to soak it all up. Innocent and curious, Sam looked at me and asked, "Is your mascara running?" I laughed even harder as I replied "Better go catch it!" It's a wonder that I was able to speak clearly enough for my fellow passengers to understand and appreciate my joke enough to continue their own laughing fits.

While I am very talented at speaking while laughing like a maniac, Lindy still needs tons of practice. At one point in the trip, she was trying to whisper something to Grace but would only get a few words in to her statement before her increasing laughing transformed it into a jumble of incomprehensible noises. The she tried to explain to all of us what she was trying to say, but again got a few words in before her laughing and wheezing dominated her statement that was never completed. She tried a couple more times with no success apart from making us all laugh.

We've all been stuck behind bad smelling trucks, but yesterday we were stuck behind one that smelled of a particularly foul bodily function. I can't say exactly what it smelled like because mom said I couldn't say that on the interwebz, but I think you all get what I'm talking about. At first I thought maybe it was just me that smelled it, but then the next second I heard a Sam sniff. We all looked at each other with inquisitive and accusing eyes, until I saw Grace's face twist in reaction to what she smelled and my silent accusations turned to very loud laughter. Then one by one, we said "Wasn't me!" No one claimed it, so we're blaming it on the mentally challenged cow.

I could go on and on about other things said and done on Carroll car trips but I'm afraid that if I keep typing, my laughter will induce pain on my belly and sides again. Then when I start whining about how my body hurts, I fear that I'll flash back to last night when my adorable mommy defended her slow driving style saying "Fast people should thank me for getting in their way so I slow them down and keep them from getting tickets!" ... Oh, the pain!!!

Lookit The Fishies!

Instead of getting a new TV or game console for the family for Christmas this year, we're taking several mini families trips in our area. We've already done a big expensive dinner together which is super rare. Still on our calendars are the bowling trip and the movie trip, but today we did our trip to the Aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores. It's been years since we've walked through the fish filled building, but it was nice to walk through with all the Christmas trees up and the lights all over the place. Even the big brass critter structures had Santa hats. It was adorable.

Although my phone has a good camera on it, I wish I had a professional one to take some really great pictures. But here are a few things I saw that I thought were cool...

This is an albino baby loggerhead turtle discovered on our beach a few months back. Since I'm in the media, I heard about it the day after they found the cute little thing. I was so glad to get to see him after hearing so much. Since he's unable to survive in the wild, he's going to live a long spoiled life in the aquarium.

Every other time I've been here, the octopus has been hiding in a corner taking a nap. But today he was swimming around giving us a show! He moved all over the tank and stretched his tentacles from one side to the other. For the first time in all my years going to this place, he finally let me take a decent picture.

I love Jellyfishies. As long as their behind glass and not wrapped around my legs, of course. Every time I see them, I think of the movie Finding Nemo. Honestly, I'm surprised it took me until this point to think of the movie! That tells me I need to watch it again. Jellyman!

I can't remember what this one is called, but it cracked me up. It looks so sad and disapproving! I made fun of it, and then it looked all the more disapproving. I love it.

Since we're in a big fishing community, the Aquarium featured many fish that are often caught by our fisherman. They had a tank of Bluefish, and I wanted to take one home and fry it up. As if my mouth wasn't watering enough, they sold fish cookbooks in the gift shop. Is it just me or is it a little weird that they're selling cookbooks at an Aquarium?

There were a couple places at the Aquarium that we sat at for about 10 minutes just watching the animals. One of the otters was having a blast making laps in the pool and annoying his sleeping friends. He was a bit of a show off really. He proved he could swim upside down, but that doesn't mean he has to do it 20 times, ya know? We also sat for a while in front of the giant shipwreck exhibit filled with sharks, loggerhead turtles, and other fishies. It was a very relaxing view, even though the sharp teeth on the sharks kinda freaked me out.

Looking at all the critters, I was amazed at God's creativity and originality. Our little Aquarium houses only a very tiny portion of what God has made and it blows my mind that there are things at the bottom of the ocean that we haven't even discovered yet. But what amazes me even more is that He made all of this and still cares for me. Like, wow.

Going to Narnia! BRB!

In excited anticipation of seeing the new Chronicles of Narnia film "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", I have read the book and I've been reading a few articles online about it. I was shocked recently when I read that the movie was going to stray significantly from the book. I was a little furious at first because who in their right mind would mess with a C. S. Lewis classic and my favoritest Narnia novel?! Oh no they didn't!!! But upon further study, I'm ok with it.

In the book, Prince Caspian is on a voyage to find his father's friends who were sent away during his evil uncle's reign. The search takes him and his crew along with Lucy, Edmund, and their obnoxious cousin Eustace far beyond Narnian maps and into small adventures at each island stop. Although I greatly enjoyed the book, it is a somewhat weak plot line, no offense to my beloved Lewis. According to this article, they are taking some aspects of another Narnia book "The Silver Chair" to make a better story.

While the book's plot line made the story a little slow with no real sense of urgency, I think this change will add more excitement which will help the story work better as a film. Also, this may be an attempt to incorporate as much from the series as possible because I don't think they're planning on making another Narnia movie. It would be awesome to see each of the books acted out on screen, but I don't know that the franchise will survive without the Penvensies who have only small parts if any in the rest of the series. Sure, Lewis fans like me would still hit the theaters, but the remainder of the Narnia books differ greatly from the films already done so I don't know that they would be nearly as successful.

I'm a little curious as to how they merge these two stories together into one movie, but I'm still childishly giddy about seeing this new adaption. The VotDT 1989 mini series on BBC was cool at the time I guess, but the "special effects" need a serious update and I'm glad I get to see it done. Such a book deserves an awesome movie, especially when you can have the voice of Liam Neeson as Alsan. James Earl Jones would make a great Aslan too, but I would make the mistake of calling him Mufasa too often. And we can't have that.

Tangled!

I absolutely loved this movie. I loved it so much that I still would have loved it even if my beloved Zachary Levi was not the voice of one of the main characters. And that's saying a lot. For the past three months I had been planning and looking forward to seeing "Tangled" today, and right before the movie started, I realized I would be devastated if the flick wasn't up to my standards of awesomeness. But for the first time in a very long time, Disney did not let me down.

In this interesting rendition of the classic princess story, our heroine with long magical hair is grounded... for life. For Rapunzel's entire life she was fascinated by the glowing lanterns that float through the sky on her birthday each year, which were really released in honor of her, the missing princess of the kingdom. When the thief Flynn climbs the tower to escape his angry fellow thieves, he is convinced to take Rapunzel out of the tower to see the glowing lanterns. After her brief episode of hilarious bipolarism as she tries to decide between leaving or returning to her tower, she embarks on a journey that changes her life and the lives of everyone she meets.

The story alone was excellent, filled with plot twists, cute songs, suspense, and action sequences. No explosions, but that's ok. Although, the graphic design was beautiful and appeared just as one would imagine their own fairy tale land. There were happy endings all around for everyone but the bad lady who met her end quite deservedly. The once selfish Flynn became Rapunzel's hero at the end of the film, bravely risking his life for the chance at her freedom. She made him a better man. *sniffle*

Apart from the overall amazingness of the story and the presence of my Hollywood crush, there were several other little things about the movie that I adored. One of those things is Pascal. This little chameleon has bit a 'tude and isn't afraid to show it. The ratio of cute to humor to attitude is perfect for this minuscule but necessary character. It has the most adorable smile, but has also mastered the most intimidating of stares. There's no way the little critter can take somebody down, but that look would make anyone think that maybe it could. Now just look at it and tell me you didn't *squee* because it's not the cutest thing Disney has ever created...

Another thing I loved about the movie was the color. Now let me explain. In the last Disney animated flick "The Princess and the Frog", the coloring was mostly dark shades and I didn't like it. Personally, I don't enjoy movies that are full of darker colors because it's generally not as visually happifying. I also didn't like the fact that they killed my favorite firefly, but that's another topic altogether. In "Tangled" however, the coloring was much brighter and vibrant and therefore happier to me. Even when the setting was at night, Disney still somehow managed to insert enough color in the scene to maintain the feel of my ideal fairy tale world. And just in case you're wondering, no, they did not kill my favorite chameleon.

The movie kept me giggling, "awwwww"-ing, and laughing out loud. Probably too out loud. I was so giddy after leaving the crowded theater that I will buy it when it comes out on DVD. Now I won't divulge any more details about the movie, so grab your son, daughter, niece, or nephew and go see it for yourself. If you don't have any of those, then steal a kid from church or something. That is unless you're totally cool with going to see a kid's movie by yourself and getting weird looks from the cashiers. Even if you do, it's absolutely worth it.

My Worst Nightmare

After the epic night-long battle that tested my army's skill more than any prior fight, I ascended to the top of the mountain in exhausted triumph. The bright sunrise we feared we would not live to see glistened on my sweaty skin and blood-stained armor as I raised the royal sword above my head. With my long hair and cape flowing behind me in the wind, I screamed a cry of victory that echoed through the valley. I smiled faintly as it was answered by the cheers of the many brave and faithful men who fought the difficult battle by my side. We stared evil and death in the face, and we had won. With our last few ounces of strength before sleep claimed our war-torn bodies, we raised our cans of Mountain Dew to the sky and drank deeply in celebration. But then I remembered...

"NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

And then I woke up.

Three times that I have remembered in the last few months, my awesome dreams have ended in me having soda, the very drink I vowed to quit for an entire year. The stories orchestrated by my strange subconscious, that I sadly now cannot recall, came to a surprising and sudden end as my real emotions took control and I thought I had partaken of my favorite carbonated beverage before the proper time. While still asleep, I would become so upset I didn't make it to my New Year's Even goal that it would force me to wake up.To date, I have gone eleven months without a single sip of soda. I have soundly defeated the physical and mental need for soda, but it continues to haunt my dreams. It's just not fair, I tell you. I do not understand it!

Honestly, I never thought I'd make it this far. As with any other silly New Year's resolution, I thought I would have broken it by February. But surprisingly, it was my addiction to caffeine that was broken instead of the resolution and I've been going strong for almost the entire year. Right now, I am 30 days away from having a Mountain Dew and I'm more excited about completing a New Year's resolution than actually having the soda. I've got a case of Mountain Dew Throwback chillin' in the fridge in the garage, and it's not calling my name like I expected it to. Although to be completely truthful, it's been sitting out there since July and I often forget about it, haha!

I've been thoroughly warned that when I finally have soda again, my stomach probably won't like it, especially if I try to down multiple cans. They are more than likely correct, so I'll have a bottle of fruity Tums on hand just in case. I'm really wanting the end of December to get here soon, but not so that I can enjoy the deliciousness of soda again. I just don't want to have to deal with those nightmare-ish dream killers anymore. Who knows how many medieval princes, Mr. Darcy's, or Zachary Levi's I could have kissed had I not been so rudely interrupted?! Dang soda.

Top 3 Christmas Albums

It's CHRISTMAS TIME!!! I always love this time of year and not just because it includes my birthday, which is enough reason to celebrate in and of itself. It's time to pull out the decorations and deck the halls with all sorts of shiny sparkley pretties and more nativity scenes then there are gospels describing them. But we can't do this decorating thing without music to dance to. So what do we listen to? While I adore my Owl City, it's time for him to take a backseat to three of the best Christmas albums ever.

Skidding into third place on my list of Christmas must-haves is the "Christmas Offerings" album by Third Day. Maybe I'm a little biased because I'm currently on a Third Day kick with the recent download of the new album "Move". So loving it. Taking a holiday spin on their occasional worshipful "Offerings" albums, Mac Powell and his homies give a selection of Christmas carols the southern rock treatment. They surprised me with a few live concert recordings that actually came out quite well when stacked against all the other studio recordings. And nearly every song makes me want to dance. Or at the very least sway a little. Right now, it's on sale at Amazon for 5 bucks. I suggest you take advantage of the deal while you can.

Second place in my list belongs to my beloved Josh Groban with the album "Noel". I love that cd so much that I'm known to occasionally play it in the middle of the summer. Josh has such an outstanding voice, and he makes me melt when paired with Brian McKnight for "Angels We Have Heard on High" and Faith Hill for "The First Noel". I have absolutely no idea what he's saying in the Latin songs like "Ave Maria", but it is enchanting. Honestly, the man could be singing a string of expletives and I would still find it beautiful. Oh, and he'll be part of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Concert tomorrow night on NBC, and I will be watching just for him.

And finally, my Christmas would not be complete without listening to my first place winner, Mannheim Steamroller's 1988 album "Fresh Aire Christmas". During long road trips each Christmas to see grandparents, we would play this album several times through. While I would protest the seemingly billionth time mom played some of her old favorite cd's, I always enjoyed listening to Mannheim Steamroller's interesting versions of Christmas songs. Coming up soon we'll be making a trip to Virginia to see my grandfather, and I'll gladly turn off my mp3 player and take off my headphones to enjoy the album with my family. The music now seems little strange because it's undoubtedly from the 80s as it mixes horns and synthesizers, but it never fails to happify me.

I could go on and on about other Christmas classics, like the single "Carol of the Fryers", the soundtrack to "Charlie Brown Christmas" or the singing vegetables of Veggietales, but my list was long enough and I'm sure there's a character limit on blogger. But anyways, don't forget to pop in your favorite Christmas cd in December and dance like it's nobody's business. And if you do it again in July when it's 100+ degrees outside, I won't look down on you for it.

Redecorating!

I have lived in the same little room full of all my stuffage for nearly eight years. Every now and again I find myself bored with the decor. But instead of emptying my room to paint and rearrange furniture, I replace pretties and pictures on my shelves and walls and clean out some of the stuff I don't use anymore. I would rearrange the furniture, but I know there's absolutely no other way to could get all my stuff to fit within these four walls.

So this weekend, I barricaded myself in my room to redecorate as opposed to getting up way before dawn and suffering from social claustrophobia while fighting people for toys and electronics. The spirit of creativity and cleansing came upon me and I proceeded to make a huge mess of my room before throwing things out and prettifying the place again. With papers, candles, and stuffed animals tossed about my quarters, I shifted all my books and DVDs around and infused a cutesy thing here and there. And ta-da!! I have a new looking room!

My already significantly reduced cd collection had been filling up needed space on my shelves, so I donated most of them to our church youth group. Since I have all those discs ripped to my hard drive and I download (legally) most of the music I have, there's really no need to keep them. However, I am holding on to a few cds for sentimental reasons. Like two of them have autographed pamphlets and remind me of great concerts. I absolutely cannot let go of Josh Groban's "Noel" album. And another is a gift from one of my favorite teachers at my old high school. That's particularly funny because we would often get in debates with him about how Christian rock is good while he said it was an oxymoron. But then the cd he gave me was rocked out praise and worship music. His wife probably purchased it, but I like thinking that maybe I did win those debates after all.

For the longest time, I've been wanting to put large pictures from my trip to Charleston SC from about three years ago. I'm not very artistic, but I know a pretty picture when I see it. And so yesterday I took the plunge, got three of my favorite photos printed off as 8x10's, and bought three matching frames. Here are the pics:

This one makes me feel like I'm spying a little because it's somebody's personal balcony. But it's in the historic district so they know their place is gonna be looked at and they shouldn't mind, haha! But I adore the wrought iron decorations and the overflowing flower pot in the middle. And those iron plates at the top and left side of the picture have their own special story. While taking a carriage tourist ride, they explained that bombs rocked the city during the Civil War and the buildings became structurally unsound. So to keep the walls from falling off, they ran long iron rods through the house and secured them with the plates on the outer walls.

One of my absolute favorite pictures, this was taken from the wall of the city that overlooks Charleston Harbor and Fort Sumter. I love these lamps that dot the walkway surrounded by mountains of giant azaleas. Maybe it reminds me of Narnia, thus flinging me into my own fantasy world of kings and fauns, except here it would be southern gentlemen and smelly horses. Ok, maybe it's not that fantastical, haha! And then I also love the old historic homes and buildings in the background.

And finally, I spent half an afternoon at this place. The Waterfront Park is filled with benches, flowers, and the occasional college student taking a nap in the grassy spots. For a second I considered going to school there just so I could act like a hobo like these other people. When Sam and I weren't sitting next to the pineapple fountain, we relaxing on the pier in the back of the photo. If you look closely, you can see a battleship to the right. I love how this picture is taken in the shade under a tree and looks out on the sunbathed plants surrounding my favorite fountain.

I'm not even completely done redecorating my room, but I hope it's a while before I feel the need to do this again because it's exhausting. Now please excuse me while I take much needed nap.

Thanksgiving!

It's almost THANKSGIVING!!! I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to the days off work and the great feast of which I will soon partake. Oh, the turkey, stuffing, and freshly mashed potatoes covered in lakes of gravy! And the nap that follows such a feast will be heavenly. I'm giddy just thinking about it.

Often amidst the gigantic meal of pure deliciousness, I fear that the purpose of Thanksgiving is forgotten. It's supposed to be a time of thanks to God for all of His blessings. But this nearly nonexistent time of thanks shouldn't be on just one day a year, it should be a constant attitude for those who love Him. First Thessalonians's 5:18 says " Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." This isn't just a suggestion, it's His will for us! This is an attitude that His people need to be portraying always.

I like how that verse says "in all circumstances." We've all gone through times where thanking God is the very last thing on our minds. But I think it's in these moments where thanking God has the most power. Back in May of 2009, I was going through a time where nothing was going as I wished and I often complained to God about it in my journal. After our Sunday School lesson on thankfulness, I decided to make a list of things I was thankful for. This small list turned into multiple pages of things I was glad to have, ranging from serious to frivolous. But by the end of that list, God had pointed out countless things that I often take for granted. It totally changed my perspective from a whiny girl unhappy with her circumstances to a very thankful girl in awe of how Father in Heaven had so sweetly blessed her.

Just for fun, here's part of that list:

- My awesome cell phone (which isn't near as awesome as the Android phone I have now!)

- My Godly family

- School

- Blankets (I like being warm, but I probably have too many)

- Coffee

- Movie theaters

- Brownies

- My CAR!! (Although the Corolla is much nicer than the one I had then)

- Mountain Dew :)

- Flip flops

- My country (Sometimes it annoys me, but as written in this post, I'd rather be here than anywhere else)

This is what I wrote after the multi-page list:

"God, you've given me so many things. Please help me to be thankful for all these things I listed instead of sad about the things that aren't a part of this list. I don't deserve any of it, but you give it to me anyways. Father, help me to be overflowing in thankfulness."

My prayer above that I would always be thankful is the same one I have today. While it's deliciously great to have that giant meal, I don't want to be thankful just one day a year. God requires and deserves so much more than that. 

God Giggles

I am convinced that God likes humor. I know He often looks down on me and calls His angel buds over, saying "Look at my girl! Right there! She's absolutely ridiculous! I made her that way!" I'd like to think I bring God a giggle every now and then, maybe with my spontaneous singing of Disney Channel songs, my clumsiness that causes me to run into unsuspecting family members in the house hallway, or my awesome dancing to Owl City tunes (New single drops Tuesday! So excited!) as I'm driving down the highway at possibly higher-than-legal speeds. Well He probably doesn't laugh at the law breaking, but let's change the subject, shall we?

So why do I think God has a sense of humor? Well other than the fact that He made my dad, I think it shows up tons throughout the Bible but we don't take the time to notice it. For instance, check out Matthew chapter 7, particularly verses 39 and 40. A pharisee was complaining about Jesus under his breath, knowing that He wouldn't hear. Just imagine for a moment the look on the man's face when Jesus answered his muttered, incomprehensible complaint. I picture it as shock with his eyes wide and jaw dropped, wondering if maybe he'd gone crazy. This is one of those times when I wish I'd been a fly on the wall to see this man's attempt to regain composure after such a zing from Jesus.

Another part of the Bible that makes me laugh is Numbers 22:1-35. Balaam is traveling when his donkey notices an armed angel on the path before them. The donkey tries several tactics to stop Balaam, first by turning off the path, then running him into a wall, and finally by lying on the ground. Now, Balaam is walking with many officials of the region who are probably looking at him like he's an idiot. What kind of Bible time dude can't control his own donkey?! But then it gets even better. In verse 28, God opened the donkey's mouth and it begins talking to Balaam. Do you read of any shock or even a confused pause of the prophet? No! He carries on a whole conversation with a talking animal without a single stop to check his sanity! It absolutely cracks me up that this entire ordeal would not give him the least bit of alarm. Even though God was angry with Balaam at the moment, I've no doubt that He must have let out a laugh when He saw how his boy couldn't take a hint.

I also think God shows humor in nature. I mean, why else would He create the platypus? (You've no idea how hard I'm fighting to not burst out with the Perry the Platypus theme song right now) It's so weird, a mammal with a duck bill and beaver tail that lays eggs. My guess is the He made it just for fun and to give Himself a giggle. Which makes me wonder, what does a God giggle sound like?! Imma have to find that out eventually, because that has got to be absolutely epic.

Imagination > Animation

It has been way too long since I last posted anything. I would blame my lack of posting on the fact that I've been super busy, but I know my mom would disagree and cite all the tv shows I've spent time watching recently. (Psych and Burn Notice just came back, so I've been absolutely giddy. Totally loving Shules, but Jesse not so much) So I'm not gonna even bother trying to excuse myself and move on to the topic that's been bouncing around in my head all week.

*Ahem*

This week, my friend Katrina and I spent an hour in Walmart shopping for an Operation Christmas Child box. We spent more than half of the time walking down each aisle of the toy department pushing buttons and being thoroughly creeped out by the animated toys. When I was little, we didn't have these toys with moving body parts which hilariously fail to imitate real animals. We had to use our... wait for iiiiit... imaginations!!

Really, I think animation significantly limits the toy's usefulness. Sure, moving arms and legs may be sorta cool in that you don't have to waste allllll that energy to move them yourself. But stuffed kitties with mechanical insides are absolutely no good for cuddling. You can't squeeze their plushy lower half into your Barbie Corvette so they can drag race against the beanie baby on the next shelf. Just give me a toy that does absolutely nothing so that I can make it do whatever I want! Confused? Let Phineas and Ferb explain it:



Genius, right? My favorite Disney boys totally get it. And my favorite Disney toys from Toy Story get it too. Yes, Buzz Lightyear had the wings that pop out and the voice box that apparently has an epic Spanish setting. But practically all the other toys in Andy's room were simple and therefore able to do absolutely anything. At the very end of Toy Story 3 as Andy drops off his toys to the little girl down the street, he hands each one to her while describing just how awesome these individual toys were. He didn't describe their high-tech animations, but rather the characters they played in his imagination which made them a special part of his childhood. *sniffle* I may need a tissue.

Anyways, Katrina and I picked out a little stuffed monkey with no mechanical qualities whatsoever so that the little girl who receives it can make it do whatever she wants. I even tested its cuddliness before putting in the box to be sent to another country. It passed with flying colors. I liked it so much that I may have to buy myself another one. Yes I am almost 22 years old, and I may be purchasing a stuffed critter for myself. As if I didn't have enough already.

Early-Onset Cat Lady

On Friday night, my family finally got together to watch How to Train Your Dragon. We saw it in the theater and adored it, so we were super giddy when dad brought it home from the store. But with our busy schedules, that night was the first opportunity for all of us to be together and enjoy the movie. As we watched the awesomely animated flick, we kept pointing out just how much the dragon Toothless was like our cat Zaboo. There were so many similarities, like the way he walked, his facial expressions, and his attitude, that it seemed as though someone had been watching Zaboo and modeled the dragon after her. But then I got to thinking, is it weird that I'm noticing cat-like behavior in other things? Maybe this is early-onset cat lady?!?!

Because I've been so clueless lately about what I want to do with my life, maybe this is a sign! Looking back on my childhood, I might have actually considered becoming a crazy cat lady without even realizing it. When I was little, mom would let me draw pictures during the sermon in church with the single condition that my pictures had to be about Jesus. I would often draw cats with the excuse that Jesus made them. And then in one very rare moment of bad behavior, I threw a fit in a Walmart so that I could get a Catwoman action figure. Unlike the villain she really was, I always played with her as the hero and saving people's lives. I thought she was cool. Still do, as a matter of fact.

And now, I'm obsessed with icanhascheezburger.com. All the captioned kitties make me laugh so hard as I think "Oh my gosh, that's exactly what our cats would say!!!" I have to go to the site everyday to get my daily dose of feline gigglez. One night, my sisters and I went through about 30 pages of the 1000+ page site and nearly died of laughter. We spent several minutes doubled over, sometimes on the floor, gasping for oxygen, and desperately fighting the unexpected call of nature as the tears rolling down our cramped cheeks taunted us. I don't think my sides have ever hurt near that much as they did that night.

Another thing I've discovered online are Simon's Cat videos. It's such simple animation, not near as awesome-looking as How to Train Your Dragon, but so adorable and just as revealing of a cat's life that I cannot help but enjoy it. And I think my early-onset cat lady-ness has made me quite attracted to the character I assume to be Simon. Too weird? Probably so. Here's my favorite video:





I vowed a long time ago that one day, I will have an orange kitty named Pumpkin. It's just a fact. If I ever happen to get married, my fella will have to love Pumpkin whether he likes it or not. And then maybe later, I'll have another one named Pi. I'm so mathematically punny.

So I loved Catwoman, I'm addicted to icanhascheezburger.com, I'm entertained by Simon's Cat, and I will have a Pumpkin kitty. I think the evidence is quite strong in support of my future cat lady-ness. Time to hit the thrift stores to buy some frumpy clothes and start stocking up on Fancy Feast. You can all start sending me your leftover milk rings and buying me lint rollers for Christmas.

Shoeboxes!

I love shopping. I've talked before about just how much I enjoy shopping. But even more than shopping for myself, I enjoy shopping for cutesy things to put in a shoebox which will be sent to an unknown kid in an unknown nation for a Christmas present. Operation Christmas Child, a program run by Samaritan's Purse, takes thousands upon thousands of stuffed shoeboxes to children in poverty-stricken countries. And I LOVE being part of it!

This year, I am the Operation Christmas Child coordinator for my church. Essentially, it's my job to make announcements, answer questions, and get all the church's shoeboxes to the local collection site. How they're all going to fit in my adorable, but small car, I've no idea yet. I normally make one box for a girl, but since I wanted to have examples in the sanctuary, I put together one for a girl and a boy. And I had a blast shopping for the stuff.

After picking up the basic hygiene items, I had more fun than I can remember while dragging that cart through the toy department of the Havelock Walmart. I strolled through the aisles and referred to my list as I ooh'd and aah'd at all the adorable stuffage. And a few times, I may have been guilty of a loud "OHMAHGOSH THAT'S SO CUTE!!!" Fortunately, the store wasn't busy at all at the time, so I got no weird looks around the corner. So after an hour of non-stop cute shopping, I checked out with $60 worth of adorableness. Here's what my girl box looks like:

Now I want to talk about a few of the things I absolutely loved!!

1. The girl's teddy bear. I almost didn't see this lonely critter hiding on the top shelf in the decidedly pink section of the department. But I knew as soon as I touched it that it would end up in my box. It was so ridiculously soft, I had to fight the urge not to massage it like a cat on a comfy blanket. Thinking back on it, I don't even think I looked at the price tag. I just threw it into the cart and went skipping down the aisle.

2. The boy's t-shirt. I did not intend to buy this at all. I was going from one department to another when I passed the little boy's clothes. And then it grabbed my attention - a Buzz Lightyear glow-in-the-dark t-shirt! Excited, I found the size I thought would best fit a boy age 5-9, and it was on clearance for $3! The lucky boy that gets the shirt is gonna be so thrilled when he wears his shirt to bed the night after opening his box and sees the glowing silhouettes of Buzz's ninja-like moves.

3. Coloring books!!! What kid doesn't like to color, right? Heck, I'm almost 22 and I still like to color on occasion! I got a Lisa Frank book full of cats and butterflies for the girl, and then a Disney heroes book complete with Robin Hood and Hercules for the boy. I also got 24-packs of Crayola crayons and some colored pencils in addition to sharpeners for both boxes.

4. The girl's hair accessories. It doesn't matter what country you live in, little girls love playing with hair. I don't know what kind of hair my little girl will have, but she'll have a pretty pink brush along with sparkly butterfly clips and soft hair ties accessorize with! I can just imagine her getting together with all her little girlfriends and getting all prettied up!

5. The boy's toy cars. I know nothing about cars, but I picked up two little Matchbox ones. One is yellow and looks like an old Camaro, and the other is a sleek blue Porche-looking thing. Again, I know nothing about cars, so I may be totally off. But anyways, they look awesome and I'm sure he'll have them speeding down the walkway within an hour of receiving his box. Although I hope his neighbor didn't get a police car in his box, or he could have some unwanted citations...

I got so many other cutesy things like a tiny plush elephant and a sketchbook for the girl, and a ball for the boy. I'm so super excited for the kids who get my boxes! While I may not know the recipients of my boxes, I will be using a new feature that allows to find out where my boxes end up, and I'm so looking forward to that!

Much more important than the tradition of Christmas gift-giving is the meaning behind Christmas itself. God sent Jesus to earth so that He could take our punishment, giving us a way to have a real relationship with the God who made us and loves us dearly. And that's why Samaritan's Purse and I do this. The gifts are awesome and put big smiles on these kid's faces, but while volunteers are handing out the boxes, they're telling these children about God. These shoeboxes can make kid's day, week, or month, but what they could hear from God through this program could change their lives. And I hope and pray that it does!

My Legal Drug

For the last few nights, I have been fiercely craving chocolate. Last night I ate a few of Sam's Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but still was far from satisfied. I was so obsessed with getting chocolate last night that for a moment I considered leaving the house in the middle of the brand new episode of NCIS to go to the convenient store and buy a few bars. And that was crazy because I HAVE to get my weekly dose of McGee and Abby. But Mom had some M&M's hidden in her purse, so I was ok. I love my Mommy.

But I have to wonder, is this addiction good or bad? Well obviously, it's not good for you physically. That pack of M&M's contained like 240 calories, which will show up on my hips in the next few days, I'm sure. Although, I can counter that with my morning walks. (But my thighs, hips, and backside are sore from walking for the first time in three weeks, so Imma have to delay that a couple days.) And then there's the side effects that show up on my face. Too much chocolate can make little unwanted blemishes appear, but my makeup can cover up some of that.

On the other hand, chocolate does something awesome in the nerves. It releases endorphins, which are sort of like the brain's natural happy drug. I even wrote a paper about this in psychology. And got an A. Here's part of it...

I absolutely love chocolate. This sweet substance always calms me down in stressful times, and makes me feel happy when I’m far from alright. But why does chocolate do this to me? It has this affect in people because it activates the release of endorphins.

Endorphins, also called endogenous opioids, are neurotransmitters that act in a way similar to morphine, a strong pain reliever. Although they play a role in processes of motor coordination, learning and memory, gastrointestinal function, the control of seizures, and the hormonal regulation of the reproductive system, endorphins are most often recognized for their central role in modulation of pain. The affects of endorphins are obvious when the body is under stress, and then they reduce the effects of pain. As inhibitory neurotransmitters, endorphins are released from nerve cells to influence cells that have opioid receptors, thus dulling the activity of those cells.

So chocolate is my morphine, my legal drug. While my body may not like it, my mind most certainly does. It's not just a myth that chocolate makes a girl happy, it's a scientific fact. I also believe that chocolate is the reason that mankind has survived for so long, because without it, many women would have been overcome with anger and murdered their hubbies. And now that I've blogged about chocolate, I need to go to the convenient store and buy some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. And maybe a bar of Dove chocolate. Or a Twix...

And Then There Were None

Several months ago, I listed a few books that I wanted to read in the post Summer Reading. While I did not complete my entire list by the end of summer, I did however check one more off that list earlier this week.

While mom was out of town visiting her aunt, my sister and I were covering her shifts as secretary of a nearby church. God bless my mama, she worked hard before and after her trip to make sure that she completed most of her work and that her girls didn't have to do too much. But that left me with a dilemma. I was going to sit in a church office all morning with absolutely nothing to do.

I had wanted to read "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie for a while but just hadn't got around to it yet. And this was the perfect opportunity. So after completing the couple of tasks for Tuesday morning, I settled into the less than completely cushy office chair and began to read. The first two chapters were a little show and boring as I was being introduced to each one of the characters, but then it quickly picked up speed and captivated me. The story was thrilling and intriguing, but not until the end would I realize just how brilliant it was.

The story of the book begins as follows: Ten guests are invited for a variety of reasons to a remote island surrounded by rumor. When they arrive, they are informed that the host would be arriving the next day and instructed to enjoy their first night in his absence. After dinner, they settle into the living room and suddenly a voice is heard calling each of them by name and accusing them of murder. In the next three days, the host is still not there and one by one the guests are killed, leaving the remaining guests and the reader to figure out who is behind the deaths.

I did not think I would like a mystery novel, but this one had me obsessed with finding out who done it. First I thought it was William Blore, who initially lied about his identity and then was discovered to be an ex-investigator. Who else would have known all these details about the guests? And then I thought maybe it was Dr. Armstrong who knew everything possible about different poisons and strong sedatives. And then my suspicions shifted to Philip Lombard, the mysterious survival genius who carried a gun and smiled way too much. All the baddies smile too much, right?

Without revealing the end, I will say that I absolutely did not see that coming. The second to last chapter had me entirely clueless as I had run out of guesses. But the final chapter had my jaw dropped so long I'm surprised I didn't find a fly in there. I admired the total geniosity of the villain, and even moreso the author behind the geniosity who was able to put the entire story together in a way that so fascinates her readers. I was literally on the edge of my seat in anticipation almost the entire time, which consisted of less that two days.

This seriously was an amazing book, and I suggest that all of you read it. Read it, I tell you. Now please excuse me while I raid my sister's Agatha Christie book collection.

Thank You, Ladies

Ok so I don't want to talk about politics. I hear enough political discussions on my radio station from Rush Limbaugh and others, and I like to keep my blog generally fun and lighthearted, so this is a politics-free zone. But this was too much fun, I just had to tell you all about it.

I got a letter in the mail today from the Carteret County Democratic Women. I considered burning it, but that would have been rude and mommy would be disappointed. So I curiously opened it to read about the local candidates they were promoting. When promoting a candidate for senate, they took a few lines to talk about all the "horrible" things that the current Republican senator had voted for, one of which was giving tax breaks to the wealthy. I said to myself "But I LIKE all these things this guy voted for! I'm totally voting for this dude in November."

This afternoon, I wrote a thank you letter to the Carteret County Democratic Women. They helped me choose the best candidate for me, so I should at the very least thank them for it, right? It will go out tomorrow morning. Here's what I wrote:

Dear Carteret County Democratic Women,

I would like to thank you for your very informative letter. Because of your efforts, I am even more convinced that voting for Richard Burr is the right choice. Do you realize that when the wealthy have tax cuts, they use the money they save and hire people, therefore stimulating the local economy and providing jobs to those who need them? Again, thank you for your letter and God bless!

Sincerely, Amanda

I nearly put my full name and return address on the card and envelope, but I don't want to be bombarded with all their other propaganda just out of spite. For a moment I thought about putting some baby powder in the card just to have a little extra fun and scare them. But that might have backfired, possibly giving them a chance to show up on the news due to an Anthrax scare and promote their cause. They ain't getting no free publicity because of me, no sir!

Speaking of which, I don't get the point of these ads and letters talking about your opponents issues. All it does is provide free advertising for your enemy! Why don't you just talk about what your issues are instead of what your opponent stands for? Oh well. I may never understand political campaigning. I'll be so happy when elections are over... and the Carteret County Democratic Women are mourning all their political losses.

Now, please no political comments in my comment boxes. You can talk about my awesome
political activism, but remember, this is a politics-free zone. Thank you.

Why I Like Football

Ever since actually learning the rules to football in 9th grade P.E., I have been quite fascinated with the game. I don't get to watch it often because the girly shopping urge always hits me during the weekend and I don't ever realize there's a game on tv. But I did happen to watch the Arkansas/Alabama rivalry match a couple weekends ago, and it reminded me of why I love football so much:

1. I live vicariously through the players. I've been brought up to be a polite and proper young lady, so rough housing isn't really an option for me. But football is the absolute opposite of polite and proper girliness. In watching my team tackle the enemy to the ground, I feel like I'm letting out some built up aggression. Is it wrong that I feel good when the other team gets an injury?

2. It gives me a reason to be loud. When I'm watching a player run down the field toward the end zone, I steadily move up from my cushy seat on the couch while yelling at the tv. Then I throw my hands up in the air, scream at the top of my lungs, and do a happy dance when they score a few points. Mom always has to cover her ears and then she'll say something about how we're being too loud, but I can never understand what she says because my ears are still ringing from my own loudness.

3. I feel like I know something when I'm heckling the refs for bad calls or the players for doing something stupid. While I am by no means a football expert, I can say whatever the heck I want at the tv and feel justified because no one else in the house is paying enough attention to challenge my limited football knowledge. Of course, I've no idea why I talk at the tv so much, because nobody on the other side of the screen can hear me.

4. It's a reason to eat tons of salty, buttery popcorn. You see, popcorn is best in only two situations: Watching a movie and watching a ball game. So when I have the chance, I'm eating some popcorn, dangit. I know that I would probably regret it later, but I eat it anyways.

5. It absolutely wears me out, perfectly preparing me for a good post-game nap. Without even stepping onto a field, I exhaust myself with all the jumping, happy dancing, and screaming. And then there's the emotional exhaustion either by pure happiness or utter disappointment depending on the outcome of the game. What weekend wouldn't be complete without the ritualistic nap anyways, right?

While I enjoy watching football games, it is definitely not an obsession of mine. I'm not one to spout off stats of popular players or tell you which quarterback is better than another. I just enjoy the excitement of the games along with the excuses to be unapologetically noisy, potentially gluttonous, and encouraging of bodily harm. Sooooo not polite and proper.

To Die Is Gain

After getting out of the shower Monday morning, I noticed there was a missed call on my cell phone. As usual, it was mom. I swear she always calls when I'm not available. So I called her back, expecting it to be a cute question on how to make something on her computer work. But she answered with the voice of one with a very heavy heart as she gave me some unexpected news.

An acquaintance from my high school days had been murdered over the weekend. I barely knew Jonathan, but the news still hit me hard. Everyone I know thought very highly of the young man who was participating in Youth and Family studies at a nearby Christian college.

I pulled a yearbook out of my closet and found his senior page decorated in pictures of him with his family and friends. Amidst the photos of good times was a verse, Psalm 56:11 "In God I trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Man did the very worst possible thing to him by taking his life. But what did that really do? That brought him immediately into the presence of the God he loved and lived his life for.

I'm reminded of Philippians 1:21, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain." As much as I can remember and what I have heard of him tells me that Jonathan's life reflected Christ. He passionately followed God's leading in his life and wanted to help people as He instructed. But his death was not the loss of his life. Jonathan gained an eternal fellowship with God that I can't even begin to imagine. I mourn for his family, but I'm also rejoicing in the fact that he is face to face with his Creator and Savior at this very moment.

While I'm looking forward to being in God's presence as Jonathan is now, I am in no real hurry to get there. God had a plan for Jonathan's life, He fulfilled it, and He took Jonathan home. Apparently God still has a plan for my life, and when I complete it, then I will gain that face to face fellowship with the God that I love too.

Please pray for Jonathan's mom, dad, and little brother. I know they're relying on God during this time, but it's still going to be difficult for them. Thanks.

I Heart Owl City

Only recently have I truly discovered the ear pleasability of Owl City. Although the break through album "Ocean Eyes" was released in 2009, I was super happy with just "Fireflies" and "Vanilla Twilight". I mean, why get obsessed with a guy who calls himself "Owl City"? What does that even mean anyways? But I had no idea what I was missing until I finally got my hands on the full album two weeks ago. Thank God for daddies who take advantage of Amazon album download specials without completely understanding what they're buying.

Most of the music I listen to is Christian Rock or Pop like Sanctus Real and Addison Road with the occasional Disney Channel song thrown in - I heart me some Jonas Brothers. This Dance/DJ or "Synthpop" style is totally new to me and I am loving it. (I almost typed "Sithpop" there at first, which gave me a giggle, because I just imagine that Darth Vader hates such music.) All  my other music follows the same basic pattern of verse 1, chorus, verse 2, chorus, bridge, and chorus, but Owl City is very unpredictable and it's kinda refreshing.

I have to be honest, half the time I have no clue what he's talking about in his songs. Sometimes I think he just came up with a cute and catchy tune then threw some lyrics in there to make it work. And apparently I'm not the only one who has trouble deciphering the message...

While I may not always understand what he's trying to say, I am impressed that there is not even a hint of profanity, or inappropriate material in his music. I love that Adam Young has made quite a name for himself among young people without singing about sex, drugs, and violence. In fact, his music is very optimistic and happifying. He's totally clean, so I have no problems with playing his music while my sisters are with me, much less surrounding myself with his tunes.

Another thing that impresses me about him is that he does input some of his faith into his songs. The short but beautiful song "Meteor Shower" contains the lines, "I am not my own, For I have been made new", referencing 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and 2 Corinthians 5:17. The song "Tidal Wave" speaks some of his own testimony, saying, "Then I was given grace and love, I was blind but now I can see, Cause I've found a new hope from above, And courage swept over me." Not only does he reference faith in his songs, but he is completely open about it as seen in a Christianity Today article.

In no way am I leaving behind my beloved Sanctus Real, Addison Road, or Jonas Brothers, but I am so glad to have found Owl City. I'll be spending the next several minutes dancing in my room to his music. But first I will make sure that my blinds are pulled down because my dancing is quite shameful. Now, you go give him a listen.

Breaking the Habit

Normally where food is concerned, I am a creature of habit. My family and friends will tell you that I always order the same thing at Chick-fil-a: Number one, no pickle, fries, LARGE sweet tea. And maybe a small ice cream later if I feel like it. But I've been branching out and trying new foods lately and I'm lovin' it. (No McDonald's reference intended, although they also have good sweet tea)

Experimenting with sammiches has been a blast. After trying a bacon, lettuce and tomato sammich at a restaurant, I decided I would make my own with LOTS more than just three little slices of bacon. And omgeeee it was heavenly. Unfortunately bacon is expensive so I can't make this all the time, but since I got paid on Friday, I may have to make a special trip to the grocery store. Here's a pic of that loverly sammich...

I also considering trying turkey bacon. Supposedly it's better for you, but I'll have to examine some price tags before I can figure out of it's worth it. Darn my limited income.

A friend of mine made some black bean brownies recently. I was a little unsure when she was describing them to me, but it sounded so interesting, it was definitely worth a shot. Instead of using the regular eggs, water, and veggie oil, you mash up a can of black beans and throw it in with the brownie mix. Well not the can itself, because that wouldn't be very delicious at all. Anyways, I tried one and it wasn't as weird as it sounded! It was not as sweet as normally brownies, but it wasn't bad.

Just last week, I discovered something wonderful. Chobani greek yogurt. I have made many attempts to like yogurt and add it to my menu, but had been unsuccessful until meeting Chobani. I think I'm gonna be addicted to the strawberry one. Like I told my mommy, it's like strawberry ice cream except it's goopy instead of creamy. I tried the peach one this morning, and it was ok. There's still and blueberry and pomegranate one in the fridge that I will try later.

I'm quickly discovering that trying new foods is lots of fun, but don't expect me to change my Chick-fil-a order any time soon.

My New Fave

For years, my favorite story from the Old Testament was of the prophet Elijah and the showdown against the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. (I always think of it as caramel, and then it makes me hungry... why couldn't they have named it something not muchies-inducing?) I get such a kick out of his heckling the other priests in 1 Kings 18:27 saying, "Why won't your god answer? Maybe he's busy in the bathroom? Or maybe he's asleep?" And then at the end of the showdown, Elijah calls on God to consume an offering so drenched it would be impossible to put it on fire by any human means. And then God did. Just imagining the show gives me goosebumps.

But now one story has totally eclipsed this for me. Near the end of Beth Moore's study "Believing God," she discusses an amazing story of Israel found in Joshua 10 that I heard but never really thought about in detail. Earlier, God had instructed Israel to not make any pacts with local cities, but Israel had entered into one with their deceitful neighbor without consulting Him. Upon discovering this new pact with an undefeated nation, other nearby rulers banded together to attack the city who had befriended God's people. Israel had no choice but to honor the foolishly-made pact and come to the rescue of their neighbor.

Despite their foolishness, God had promised Joshua in verse 8 that they would have the victory in this battle. But after an all night march, they faced an uphill fight in unfamiliar territory. Half way through the battle after they had seen God take out many of the enemy with hail stones, the warrior and intelligent battle-strategist Joshua knew they would need a little more help in order to receive the victory he was promised. So he prayed something that very few people would have had the audacity to even think. In verse 12, he prayed that the sun would hold still and provide enough daylight to finish the fight. And God made it happen.

Oh how I want to be like Joshua! In the middle of a serious battle, he stopped to pray for something as bold and maybe ridiculous as the sun standing still. I cannot help but wonder how many warriors nearby heard him, said "Whaaaaaaaa?" and marked it as something too crazy for God to do. Yet God delighted in Josh's request in absolute faith and honored it. How often do we think a certain request is too big, too ridiculous, too impossible, or just that it's something God would never do? I don't want to doubt the ability of my God anymore. In faith, I'm going to pray big and expect Him to answer big.

Another thing I loved about this story was that even though Israel had made a big fat mistake, God did not force them to endure the consequences on their own. In my own life, I've messed up and think that God would say "You got yourself into this mess, you get yourself out." That's a common thing people do, but I'm so glad that God is not like that at all. While we may have to face the consequences of our actions, He does not expect us to face them on our own. Just like He was with them and for them in a battle they should have never had to enter, he will also be with us and for us in the problems we get ourselves into. I don't know about you, but that's a huge comfort to me.

As a side note, this study that I've mentioned in several posts has been a life changing experience. I've grown so much closer to God throughout my weeks of study, and it's exciting to know that I've only just BEGUN to believe Him. I'm so beyond thrilled to see how God works in my life from here on out!

Oh, The Cliffhangers!

I don't think my jaw has ever in my two decades of life dropped so far as it did Tuesday night. Tears began to build up as I watched the unexpected turn of events play out before my eyes. Mozzie, my favorite crazy conspiracy theorist character had been shot and then the screen faded to black. That was the end of the mid-season finale of White Collar. Is it ridiculous that I wanted to cry right then? I have convinced myself that he is not dead. And based on an interview I read with one of the other actors, I'm hoping that I'm right.

Even with such annoying cliff hangers, I love watching season finales because they normally pull out all the stops and aplode my mind with awesomeness. I've been RSVP-ing to several "finale parties" on Facebook for my favorite shows. Even though the party is in my living room, saying that I'll be attending along with thousands of other fans makes me feel important, haha!

Another show that just finale'd is my beloved Psych. I was very unimpressed with last season because it just wasn't as funny as it used to be. But in the first half of this season, they have won me over again. They kept me laughing, especially during the episode where Gus and Lassie tap danced. In the finale, Juliet finally learns how Shawn feels about her and then she kissed him quite nicely. I got all sortsa squealy. Bout time, Psych writers!

But enough about finales, now I want to talk about premieres. Chuck is scheduled to come back on the air later this month, and I'm super excited about the new direction they'll be taking the show. I adore Zachary Levi and I cannot wait to see new episodes full of his attractiveness. (Oh and he's the male lead in the new Disney flick "Tangled" - Yes I am 21 years old, and I WILL be seeing this in the theater.) And Castle is coming back on the same night as Chuck, so I'll be eating tons of popcorn that night.

I would go on to compare Hannah Montana's new drama and ridiculousness to that of professional wrestling, but I don't feel like it. Although I will say that wrestling can be quite hilarious when you mute it and make up your own dialog. You should try it sometime.

Calculating My Future?

A few years back, I considered becoming a math teacher. I have ALWAYS loved math and seriously thought about teaching it to others. Maybe not in the traditional high school setting, but possibly as a tutor. But things happened as my education and career goals changed and took me away from the study of numbers. I may yet have a chance to pursue this idea...

When I was homeschooling I pretty much taught myself math and I rocked at it. And then I had the pleasure of having astounding math teachers like Mrs. Brock in middle school, and then Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Cormier in high school. Also for a course in college, I had the amazing Mr. Parker - a cute old guy who was awesome enough to let us have a break one morning while he beautifully played his guitar for us. Contrast my great teachers with the instructors my younger sisters have had, and I know the value of an excellent teacher.

My dad is a great pastor and teacher, but he's not good at all in the math department. So when the private school asked him to take on a math course in addition to his two Bible classes, I laughed. Like, loud. For realz. The man can teach some Bible, but Algebra I? HA! But then he and I came up with a genius plan. I would teach him the lesson at night and he would teach it to his students this next morning. If they had questions that he couldn't answer, he would consult me and I would explain it to him. And I was still in high school at this time.

Now after much thought and prayer, we are bringing my sister Lindy home for school this year. But that left us with a dilemma. My mom simply cannot teach higher math like Algebra and Geometry. But I've been working with Lindy on extra math practice this summer and I am quickly remembering why I love math and helping others appreciate it. And the arrangements are now final - I will teach her Algebra II this year.

My parents have told me for years that I would make a good math teacher. Even in doing presentations for my computer courses, my instructors have told me that I would make a good teacher. It's something that I would not mind doing, but I wasn't too sure about it when it was time to make education decisions. I don't regret studying computers, but now I'm sorta considering a future as a math teacher again. Don't get me wrong, I love my radio job, but do I really want to do that for the rest of my life? And I've no idea what to do about it if I decided on teaching, because I really don't feel like going back to school right now. My brain still hurts from studying operating systems. (BTW, Windows 7 rocks so much harder than Vista.)

It's definitely something to think on and pray about. But for right now, I get to try out my math instruction skills on my sister. I hope she enjoys being my guinea pig! And while I'm practicing on her, I'll also practice writing my name on a dry-erase board. "Miss Carroll"... "Miss Mandy"... "Miss Awesome"?

Goodbye Earl!

Earl, you were probably the most disappointing hurricane ever. After all the media frenzy and grocery stockpiling, one would think Earl would at least be worse than our frequent afternoon pop-up storms. Maybe Fiona will make up for it. It's named after the trigger-happy sidekick in Burn Notice and the Ogre-princess in Shrek instead of the murdered abusive hubby in a Dixie Chicks song, so it should be more interesting, right?

As I was watching the endless news coverage of the hurricane, one of the reporters for a national news network was in Atlantic Beach. I was admiring his attractiveness when I noticed that he was right next to the pier, so I knew exactly where he was standing. I came so close to jumping in my car and driving out the 15-20 minutes to say hi. But I woulda had to put makeup on and that woulda taken another 15-20 minutes and he woulda probably been gone by then. Or drowned by killer waves. Oh well.

Even though by dinner time we knew the hurricane wasn't going to be as bad as it could have been, we still made our traditional hurricane cookies. There's nothing really special about them as they are just frozen chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies, but we make about twice as much as we usually do and then snack on them all night long. It's a family-wide excuse to eat an unhealthy amount of sugary deliciousness that we'll probably regret later.

Something I noticed about the storm was that even though it was still a couple hundred miles off shore, it was already covering my skies with clouds. By the time Earl got its closest to us, the sky was completely blanketed with gray clouds that stretched in every direction. It was ominous yet fascinating at the same time. While I was at work that afternoon, I stood in front of the double glass doors and just watched. That's probably part of the reason I didn't get all my paperwork done yesterday.

I joke about how I wish the hurricane was more eventful, but seriously I'm glad that it did not cause any major damage here. I've been around long enough to see hurricanes destroy homes and I definitely did not want that to happen again. Even though it's fun having the power go out and my family play monopoly by candlelight til midnight, the fun is not worth all the trouble they cause. I'm so glad my God has control over these huge storms and steered it away from us!

Stuck In My Head

So I've had Hannah Montana songs stuck in my head for the last couple of days. Her devilishly catchy tunes simply cannot be shaken from my mind easily. I may have to stop watching the show just for the fact that whatever song is sung (I accidentally typed "dung" there when writing up my draft of this post... totally unintentional, but it may speak of what my subconscious thinks of Miss Miley) is replayed for hours on end following the credits. I need to get some good music stuck in my head. Liiiiike...

Addison Road! Their new album "Stories" came out a few weeks ago, and I downloaded it (legally, of course) the first available day. I loved their first album and have seen them in concert twice so far, so I was kinda nervous about how good album numero dos would be. I was disappointed with the quality of my beloved Tenth Avenue North's new album and I didn't want to feel that way about Addison Road. But I loved it!!! It was the same kinda stuff that I was attracted to in the beginning, but I can tell they have grown some as a band. I like that.

One of the things I really like in this album is how they sing about potentially depressing topics, but the music is very upbeat and does not reflect the expected feeling of the song. For example, the song "Don't Wait" begins "Today I lost a friend of mine, I never even got to say goodbye, I thought we had time to burn, but life is short you only get one turn..." But the music for this song was far from draggy and funeral procession-y. It quickly became one of those songs I dance to while driving down the highway with people looking at me funny.

Now I gotta take a quick bunny trail. I love how what could be sad songs are sung happily, but I hate it when the opposite happens. Happy songs should not sound sad. I will never forget one time the song "Beulah Land" was sung so horribly in a church. They were supposed to be singing about the joy at going to Heaven, but they slowed it down tremendously and it sounded like they were on their way to the other place. So yeah, don't make the tune ruin the happy. End bunny trail.

I'm also rediscovering the awesomeness that is Owl City. I already adore the songs "Fireflies" and "Vanilla Twilight" but just the other day I listened to the song "Rugs From Me To You." I'm not even going to bother trying to describe it, because I know I'm gonna crack up and then the rest of this post will be nothing but typos. So just go listen to it for yourself here and then you'll understand why Adam Young is now on a new level of awesome.

Superhero Capes?

I was thinking about superheroes yesterday. I've no idea why, really, but I got to thinking about why on earth they have capes. For the comic book and movie heroes that I know of, their capes serve no real purpose. But why is it such a staple for heroes like Superman and Batman? Random questions like this are always popping into my head, and I like researching and blogging about them, so this kinda stuff may be a regular feature.

Anyways, using my limited knowledge of superheroes, it doesn't seem very practical at all. Instead, I would think it would be more of a hindrance than a help. Edna Modes, the suit designer on "The Incredibles" (one of my favorite Disney/Pixar flicks ever) relayed the potential problems quite clearly while talking to Mr. Incredible about a new suit...

Edna: It will be bold! Dramatic!

Bob: Yeah!

Edna: Heroic!

Bob: Yeah. Something classic, like, like Dynaguy. Oh, he had a great look! Oh, the cape and the boots...

Edna: [throws a wadded ball of paper at Bob's head] No capes!

Bob: Isn't that my decision?

Edna: Do you remember Thunderhead? Tall, storm powers? Nice man, good with kids.

Bob: Listen, E...

Edna: November 15th of '58! All was well, another day saved, when... his cape snagged on a missile fin!

Bob: Thunderhead was not the brightest bulb...

Edna: Stratogale! April 23rd, '57! Cape caught in a jet turbine!

Bob: E, you can't generalize about these things...

Edna: Metaman, express elevator! Dynaguy, snagged on takeoff! Splashdown, sucked into a vortex!

Edna: No capes!

Smart woman. With even a Disney movie discussing the danger of capes, I can't help but wonder why they're so widespread in comic book culture. So I took the question to Facebook and got some kinda funny responses...

1. "We think they are stylish and they make a great blanket when you take your girl out for a picnic."

2. "They wear them to cover unsightly bulges."

3. "How could the comic books draw you in an epic pose if there wasn't a cape billowing behind you in the moonlight?"

The first two made me laugh, but the third one is probably closest to reality. It does look cool when it's flapping around in the wind, giving the appearance of movement in a still two-dimensional picture. But then I checked into some online comic book forums to see what they thought...

"In Batman's case, the cape makes him look bigger, which makes it harder for crooks to shoot him while also being intimidating." - I totally get that. If I met Batman in a dark alley, would I be more scared of him if he were in his tights and pointy mask alone? Or would the silhouette of a flapping cape make him appear more menacing? Definitely scarier with the cape. Also, Batman's cape apparently does have some practical applications as it is bulletproof, or something like that. Why not go all sci-fi and give him a force field?!?! Get with it, that's what all the superheroes are doing nowadays.

So it seems like it's all for looks, either for enhancing comics or the fright factor of a suit. Edna would totally disapprove. And now that I know the answer to this question, I may have to now discover why superheroes wear their underpants on the outside. I don't think that anything could justify that.