I'm Hooked

It's true. I borrowed season one of "One Tree Hill" from Dani and Mallorie and I'm hooked. I'm embarressed to say how many episodes I watched this weekend...but it was quite a few. It's a good show and now I understand what so many people have talked about for so long.

Now Jen don't go rolling your eyes just yet...watch a few episodes and I can pretty much guarantee you'll be hooked too...

When You Reach That Level...

I love when you reach the level with people where you can start joking/making fun of them. You know what I mean. When you reach a certain comfort level where you can banter back and forth about any given thing all in good fun.

Today was a long day. A very long day. And I can pretty much say with confidence that this day would have seemed a whole heck of a lot longer if I did not have great (and fun!) co-workers. Kimi, Dave and I work really well together--and we've reached that level with one another where we can joke around and make fun of one another all in good fun.

There was one time today when both Dave and Kimi were mocking me and I couldn't stop laughing. I love this about my job.

And it gets even better when Pam jumps into the mix!

Today was a long day--but I work with some amazing people and even when one of us has a "bad" day we love one another through it.

And know it's time for me to leave my office and go to bed...

You Really Never Know...

A student recently wrote this to me...

"you have been speakin to me everytime you send one of the TFTT (Thoughts From the Throne) out.....u have helped me through alot of stuff and you keep me on the right track...thanks"

Who knew? God knew. I didn't know. It's just another reminder tht we really never know how God is at work. I'm blessed to be a part of the process.

I am third...

In an interview with comedian Jeff Foxworthy by Glenn Beck on CNN, Foxworthy gave some invaluable advice. Foxworthy said in his family he encourages them to say and live like, "I am third. I will serve God first, family second and myself third."

Good advice Mr. Foxworthy. Now if only I could do that...

Another "Thought From The Throne"...

Have you ever got a song stuck in your head before? Either you hear it on the radio or you hear someone singing it and from that moment on you can’t get it out of your head. This has happened to me before…well, okay it actually happens to me a lot. People who know me well know that I really like to sing. Now when I say I like to sing, by no means do I mean that I sing well. I just like to sing and will often burst out in random song. And I usually only realize I’m doing it when I look up and someone (or multiple people) are looking at me really strange… yeah…

Well I got a song stuck in my head this weekend. On Easter Sunday I attended church with Jen and Derek and I was reminded of what I like to call “oldie but goodie” praise songs that we used to sing at the church Jen and I grew up at. I couldn't’t get this song out of my head—-the chorus of the song went like this:

And I believe that He’s here now
Standing in our midst
Here with the power to heal
And the grace to forgive

These four lines were stuck in my head all day—I even found myself humming it last night while I was in the shower! Often when songs get stuck in my head I don’t think too much about it, and honestly I sometimes don’t even realize what I’m singing or saying with the lyrics of a song. And I’ve found myself in a few awkward situations because of that…

But this time as I sang the words to this song over and over and over again, I found myself discovering deep truth in these lyrics. Specifically with the last two lines…

“Here with the power to heal and the grace to forgive…”

Sometimes we need to be reminded of this. I often need to be reminded of this. We need to be reminded that Jesus has the power to heal in ways that are beyond our understanding and He has the grace to forgive even when we don’t want to or can’t forgive ourselves.

It doesn’t take much looking around to see that we live in a broken world and therefore we’re all broken people. Some of you probably feel more broken then others at times. And some of you are hurting and are hurting really bad right now. We are in need of the one and only one who offers healing in a way that no one (or no thing) can.

Some people go their whole life searching for something or someone to heal their brokenness. But the thing they’re searching for is in their midst. He’s right here. And we can only find the healing and grace we need when we give up the search, when we surrender, when we trust.

Trust that God is already at work putting you back together. Trust that through dying to the old, the new can give birth. Trust that Jesus can repair the scarred and broken image. Trust that grace pays the bill…

Until Next Week...

Things I don't understand...

1. Why people eat hot dogs.

2. Why people call you, don't leave a message and then get upset because you didn't call them back.

3. How anyone can think the circus peanuts candies are good.

4. Why some people come to a complete stop before turning into a parking lot or onto a side street.

5. How some people can eat fast food everyday...and I mean everyday.

6. Why 7-11 got rid of their diet pepsi slurpees.

7. How anyone would not like the show "The Biggest Loser"

8. Why when you're told you can't do something it makes you want to do it all the more.

9. Why some people can do a cart wheel and others can't. I would be in the "cannot" category.

10. What a bunny has to do with the day Jesus rose from the grave.

He Has Risen...He Has Risen Indeed!

I love that as I get older I have started new traditions for different holidays. Actually I should say Jen and I have started new traditions of things we do together since neither of us are married--or any where close to it for that matter.

On Easter we attend church together, but the past two years we've gone to a church that we normally don't attend. I don't really know why we go to a different church--but it's a lot of fun. After church we then usually eat and hang out for a while. This year we came back to the house that I'm house-sitting at and made deviled eggs and green bean casserole for my family's Easter dinner.

But what's most fun about it all is that we've started these traditions on our own. As adults. And I love it.

Hopefully in the years ahead we'll establish traditions for other holidays, but for now we have our own traditions for Christmas, Martin Luther King Jr. B-day and Easter. Sometimes Thanksgiving too!

Oh what fun!

He has risen...He has risen INDEED!

Would You Rather...

Be Invisible...

OR

Be able to know what others are thinking...

?

Cut up your Capital One credit card...

If you have a credit card with Capital One--I am sorry.

I used to have one (notice the past tense) and I no longer do.

They are awful.

And I'm not one to complain a lot--but when something gets bad enough--such as the customer service at Capital One--I think it's important to let others know in hopes of saving you anger and frustration.

If you have a Capital One Credit Card--cut it up. You will be happy you did.

Enough said.

Feeding Your Soul...

A few days ago I went to see Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban in concert. Together. Carrie did her thing and then Keith came out and did his thing and then they did one song together. It was so great and so much fun!

One song that Keith Urban sings got me thinking a little...

The lyrics of the chorus say this:

Gonna kick off my shoes
And run in bare feet
Where the grass and the dirt and the gravel all meet
Goin' back to the well gonna visit old friends
And feed my soul where the blacktop ends

It got me thinking. What things feed my soul?

What things feed your soul?

Boy that was a great concert!

10 Things I L-O-V-E...

1. Meeting new people

2. Sharing a meal with friends

3. Bike riding on a sunny day

4. Chocolate (but none of this Hershey's business..) I'm talking about the good stuff.

5. Being warmed up by the warmth of the sun after being cold

6. E-mail

7. Looking at old pictures

8. Getting up, taking a shower, having breakfast and then laying back down in bed

9. Road trips--and stopping for a diet pepsi and snacks.

10. Kareoke...enough said...

How do we do that?

I talked to Jen tonight on the phone for 81 minutes. How do we do that? And we could have talked longer but warm comfy beds were calling each of our names.

I'm pretty sure there are very few other people I could talk to on the phone for that long. Actually none come to mind right now...

PTL for Best Friends.

Debated Question Update...

In my last post you can see I posed the question "Do you believe the saying: Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

And I promised I would follow up with that...

The reason I asked that question was in response to a conversation I had with a friend about this statement. I've come to understand that this statement can be debated in many ways--all mainly based on personal experience.

I think regardless of if one believes this statement to be fully true or not, by thinking about it, it seems to bring up a lot of past experiences for people. Experiences where they felt like life was almost too much to handle...but they some how managed to survive.

This statement raised a lot of questions in my mind. Go with me here...

--Is it too bold to use the word "whatever" which is all encompassing in a statement like this? Does everything always make you stronger?

--What does "makes you stronger" mean?

--Is being "stronger" always a good thing?

--If something doesn't kill you but leaves you severely wounded is it better to look for healing in those situations instead of looking to be stronger?

Just my thoughts...

Debated Question...

Do you think the saying, "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is true in all situations?

I'd love feedback. After a few days I'll let you know why I'm asking, but for now I'd just like to know what you think.

Happy Anniversary Jason and Brandie!

Tomorrow marks Brandie and Jason's 2nd wedding anniversary! They make such a great team and their love for each other and others is evident in all that they do. They are a couple I have no doubt will be celebrating many, many more anniversary's together!

Yes and Yes...

I get to spend the weekend with these tree lovely ladies and I am excited. Super excited. I love these girls and it's been waaaaay too long since we've all got together. Considering one lives in Oregon and one recently got married...life is busy, but this weekend will be filled with good conversations, good food and good times. It will be good for my soul.

Having Some Trouble

I wrote two different posts and deleted both because I didn't feel I had any complete thoughts on either topic. So this is my post--and yes I know it's not really a post of substance, though I am thinking I am having trouble putting words to my thoughts. Hang with me...

On a side note...I went to Wal Mart today and found dark chocolate M&Ms on sale. I know, super sweet (no pun intended)!