Lesson(s) Learned

A Handful of Things I Learned Whilst I Was Sick 1. You can easily drop eight to ten pounds in two days with a steady diet of gatorade, a carrot stick, and what-seemed-to-be-the-stomach-flu. 2. It doesn't matter if the air is on or off, the heat is on or off, the sheets are on or off… you're bound to wake up blazing hot. or freezing cold. or sometimes, half and half. at the same time. 3. If you google the symptoms for "stomach flu" and "food poisoning," they come out exactly the same. In the end, it doesn't really matter what labeling you have. You'll feel like death the entire time anyway. 4. The things you think about when you are sick are what matters the most to you. Seriously. 5. You can never pay your roommate enough for the loot of  lemon-lime Gatorade she brings home for you. It's a life saver. (which reminds me, Katie, how much do I owe you?!?!) 6. Make-up is not a daily necessity. It's a first-world problem. I started to apprec...

Tonight as I was randomly baking cupcakes in my kitchen, God placed this verse in my mind and wouldn't let it get out of my head. (I didn't know the reference… so I googled it…) Proverbs 27:6 - "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." This thought led me on to think several things, actually. One, I thought… do I have friendships that run so deep and friends that care so much for me that they will reach out and short-term wound me in order to long-term better me?? Though I only have one story to validate this is true, I would like to believe so about all of my close friendships. The hardest truths are oftentimes delivered by those that love us the most. Or at least they should be.  Two, I thought… am I the kind of friend that this proverb calls for? The kind that would be willing to wound a friend by speaking truth into his/her life out of the love stored up in my heart for them. [No. matter. what. the. consequences.] Because...

"What did you do at school today?" Not only do I love that a majority of my students get asked that question on a rotating, regular basis from their parents.  I love the natural responses kids give to their parents. After teachers (much like my myself) have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into creative lesson plans, what message do children carry home with them? Typically, one of two major reposes: "Oh, nothing." -or- "The same stuff we always do." While it's somewhat humorous, it's also kind of sad at the same time. Humorous, because kids just make me smile. And sad, because sometimes they're not equipped to see the long-term effects of daily lessons or practices. They just see the here-and-now. Which reminds me…. I oh-so-oftentimes am taught spiritual truths not only by the Holy Spirit, but through the children God's placed in my life. And of course, I find that these two responses children give are very, very, very similar...

Safe. Sometimes, I like to keyword search songs in my iTunes collection. Today, I decided to do so with the word "safe." When I keyword-searched this, I came up with two surprisingly different songs… The first was Safe and Sound (from the Hunger Games) by Taylor Swift and the Civil Wars, and the second was Safe by Phil Whickham. If you haven't heard either, I highly recommend both. (Also, I recommend reading all of the Hunger Game series…. interesting reads, for sure.) Though they're completely different artists and genres, I found it interesting that they both speak to the effect of running into someone else's arms in order to be safe. To trust someone or something other than oneself. There's no doubt that there's safety in numbers. and comfort in dependence. And, might I add, there should be discretion in the choosing of such. I just wonder...what/who are you banking on this year to make you feel safe? 

Timing is Everything. (Christmas Season 2012) For many things in this life, timing is absolutely everything. Take this morning, for example: Mom and my sister Rosie decided (against my advice-giving) to go to WalMart. Not just any WalMart though. The one on Normandy Blvd on the Westside of Jax. Pretty sketchy. and risky, if you ask me. Questionable in the daytime. Not-an-option past sundown. Not even ten minutes into their trip, Rosie texted me to say she overheard some man, who happened to track down a stranger-woman he previously saw at a yard sale, ask if he could buy some artwork off of the woman. The woman's response? "No. I don't even know who you are." The man's response? "Yeah, but I remember you. You bought the painting I wanted at that yard sale!" I love that story. Rosie and I laughed for a while about it. But then, this thought came to mind: Timing. Is. Everything. And isn't that the truth? If that guy had been at the yard sale ea...

This note is coming straight from one work in progress (me) to another (you). I don't know about you and your mom, but my mom likes to pop impromptu life lessons upon me unawares - like in the car ride to the credit union today.  Today's words of advice? the 11th commandment. "Be ye content." Although, if you know my mom, this is pretty funny, the subject of contentment itself really isn't all that hilarious. It's sobering. and sometimes even painful. What is contentment? I'm glad you asked. I actually googled the definition of it and got a slew of synonyms…. Ready? Contentment.  Satisfaction.  Joy.  Happiness.  Ease of mind. Peace. Yup, that's (in a nutshell) what contentment is. Being satisfied or conTENT with the CONtents of your life. (notice the pronunciation difference #grammargeek) Everyone wants that. Some seemingly "attain" it at certain seasons of their lives. Others outwardly "obtain" it through one venue or atta...

The Israelites crack me up. Actually, no they don't. They sadden me. a lot. They're just so very dumb that it borderline annoys me. If the Old Testament were split into tracks instead of chapters, it would pretty much go like this: 1. God provides. 2. Israelites screw up. 3. God provides more. 4. Israelites screw up more. 5. God continues to provide exactly what the Israelites need. 6. Israelites complain that the provision of God isn't what they wanted. 7. God provides exactly what the Israelites wanted. 8. The Israelites still choose to be miserable. with a capital M. I mean, seriously, what's up with that?! I'm currently going through a Bible study surrounding the Israelites and all lesser things and gods they sought after apart from (and in place of) God Himself. No wonder they were so miserable, right? Well, today, I stumbled upon a verse that not only caught my eye, but it also caught all of my heart's attention. It's in Psalm 106:15, and it read...