Oh no....

The water in the kitchen sink was really hot tonight. REALLY hot. Like "what is going on and who boiled it?" hot. I got the meat thermometer out - yep - 180 degrees. That's not right. So I flipped the breaker off. Can those things blow up if the water gets too hot? I'm guessing the thermostat is shot or, since it is as old as the house and the house is 14 years old, the entire water heater is shot. Happy birthday to me.

I do it, but I hate dealing with stuff like this. Call the guy, wait for him to show up, take off work or get someone to come over and let him in.... I'm turning into my mother. Which isn't altogether bad (she's sweet) but I remember her getting mad at daddy for dying on her and leaving her to have to deal with messes like that.

Other than that I had a great day! Savannah's team won their volleyball match and if she keeps playing like she is now, she'll be mvp again this year. Not that I want to brag but I like seeing her excel at things she loves.

I'm off to bed. Still trying to get used to life in a new blog world. But I'm trying!

Imported!

I'm impressed. Surprised, actually. Multiply provided a blog export tool that actually worked! I hope I didn't blow up anyone's notifications too badly. Hopefully that is done and over!

MIA- I know, I'm missing. Been way too busy at work to want to be on the computer at home. But I'm here. Wondering where people are going- is there a consensus of a new site yet?

Here's my latest blog: http://mommadish.xanga.com/767462505/sunday-night-and-still-a-refugee/

So who is at blogger? I'm still trying to figure this mess out. Seems like I have 12 friends at xanga, 4 or so at livejournal, and about 6 at ipernity. So where's everyone else?

Help me with ipernity! I can only see new pictures as updates on the page. I have to click them to read what is written under them. And I can't seem to find where to go to to see if someone else has commented on them. What am ibdoing wrong? I keep seeing how much like Multiply this is but I must be missing something!

At least Blogster has good customer service. Unfortunately, all they could do was restore my posts that got eaten by the spambot. They don't have a fix for my iPhone.

Blogster

This is what Blogster looks like on my mobile phone. Any ideas?

Blogger doesn't have the social aspect, blogspot won't work on my iPhone, LiveJournal is ok but not great, and xanga is fine so far. I really hate moving. For now, you can find me here, on facebook, and as mommadish on both LiveJournal and Xanga.

Serenity...

How appropriate to this week! I had to find the Serenity Prayer in its entirety for my boss this morning. Her sermon this week is called "Spiritual Makeover- from Anger to Acceptance." I know there is a lot of anger surrounding Multiply's decision to discontinue the social aspects of the site. There is some acceptance, too, with people already finding a new home and trying to settle in. So hopefully we move from anger to acceptance and get on with our blogging lives. I'm mommadish at LiveJournal and several of us are there trying to figure out how to navigate this new system. I leave you this prayer, in its original published form by Reinhold Neibuhr, to give you some peace about this whole thing:

God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace.
Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it;
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.

December 1, 2012- Where will we go? I know I asked this question several months ago, but never got a good answer.

I'm watching the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. Is anyone else going hmmm?

Not many thoughts for Tuesday

1. I probably won't get to ten thoughts.

2. There aren't too many people who do things to make me block them from places like Multiply and Facebook. I'm on the edge with one person though. All they do is play games and post idiotic videos and negative status updates. I don't want to see that mess. Facebook is a little messed up and won't let me just block their notifications- it doesn't seem to work on my phone for some reason!

3. I love my iPhone! I didn't realize I'd love it so much, but there's an app for (almost) everything!

4. I also love my new car. I never posted a pic of it like I said I would. That's it at the top, still on the lot at the time.

5. I love my friends! Having some good discussions on Multiply this week has been just what I needed! I like it that we can share our hopes, and fears, and dreams safely with people we've never 'met'. Almost easier than sharing with our hometown friends.

6. I find myself wishing more that we all lived closer together.

7. I find myself wishing more that I could win the lottery. I've helped a couple of friends out this month and giving feels so good! I wish I had more to give away!

8. I might make it to 10 after all...

9. Maybe...

10. Yes, I did it!

Picture Perfect- Before My Time

I haven't been around regularly lately- I thought summer would be less crazy and gee, was I wrong! But when I saw the Picture Perfect theme this week I knew I had the perfect picture:

There is a small Amish community in Virginia who still do things the old fashioned way- or I call it "the hard way!" Here is a guy mowing hay the way my grandfather did. The hard way! I'm sure glad that was before my time!

Thoughts for Some Day of the Week

Not my pool... but wouldn't that be nice?

I feel like I've been MIA here for forever! I get caught up in life and don't make it here. If I didn't get Facebook on my phone I probably wouldn't make it there, either.

I'm leaving Tuesday for Cherokee. This will be my 6th mission trip there (not counting ones to Belize and Montana) and the 3rd or 4th that I've led. I lost count. I think it is 4. Anyway, this time I'm taking 18 people and we're going to hang sheetrock and do some painting. We will also give over 100 shoes to the local children of the tribe through Samaritan's Feet. I'm excited to go, but have so much to do before I get there.

I got an iPhone in mid-May and I love it! It is making me lazy though- I keep thinking that if I double-space when I type that it will leave a period at the end. But it doesn't navigate around Multiply well, so I end up not coming here. I do miss you guys - especially the ones I don't see on Facebook.

So here are my thoughts for today. Count them as really late (or really early) thoughts for Tuesday, since I haven't had any thoughts in the past few Tuesdays, and probably won't have time for any this coming week!

1. I wish I had enough money to really travel. I have a list of places I would like to see. And since Dai says Nepal is on my shortcut route, I guess I would start there.

2. I'm not a shopper. I'm more of a "go get what you need and get out" type of person. But the pictures Dai posted from the market in Thamel made me want to go touch it all!

3. It is hot. Really hot. Don't remind me that I live in the south and it is summer, because it is record-breaking hot. And for the south, that means it is really hot!

4. I did clean the pool today. Then I swam and floated for a little bit. That felt good.

5. I have so much packing to do, not only for Savannah and me but for the team, that I'm procrastinating. I know, you'd tell me to come here and procrastinate more often.

6. I am washing clothes. Of course, that means I have to go fold them in a minute. I hate trying to fold cold clothes, so I usually don't put that off.

7. I am tired of eating. I think it is just too hot, but nothing tastes good. When I said that to my mom, she agreed. So she made this great salad tonight. It was tomatoes, onions, fresh basil, olive oil, and white wine vinegar with croutons in it. Yummy!

8. She has decided that she hates eating alone, so she wants to cook dinner every night. And I have decided that sounds like a pretty good deal to me!

9. Savannah's at the beach. One of her friends wanted her to go with them for the weekend. She gets back tomorrow, packs for Cherokee, then I drop her in Asheville for another mission trip on our way home. The girl won't be home for what seems like forever!

10. It is time to clean out my tent at the campground. I know I have posted pictures before. We call them tents, but they're wooden structures, more like a shack. Campmeeting time will be here soon, and that always feels like the end of summer to me. It will be over before it got started good!

For Susan- I have a good vacation spot for next year- Natchez, Mississippi! My cousin just moved there to be a pastor at a new church. He says that there is all kinds of Civil War sites and old buildings to see. I immediately thought of you!!

And Kat, I just can't write a blog without you in it! So here you are!

Ooh, and I just had to say "floppy hangies" for Bill- just because it made me giggle! Thanks for the giggles!

I hear the dryer buzzing, so it is time to go fold. Y'all be good on this Saturday night (or Sunday morning, depending on where you live!)

I'm back! Enjoyed my week at the beach and am now paying for it at work. I was trying to catch up, but I give up. If I missed something important, please tell me!

Mental Health Hotline

Bill had a post about automated answering systems today, and how tired he was of pressing 1... it reminded me of this video. Enjoy!

Doing Research

I'm sad to hear this week that Multiply is going to focus on the marketplace portion of this wonderful site. They're headquartering themselves in Asia, where the bulk of the sellers (nee spammers) are located. They haven't mentioned anything about whether they will continue to support and maintain the blogging portion of their business. Having survived the slow death of Yahoo 360, I'm skeptical that Multiply will remain the place it always has been for those of us who were "refugees" looking for a home.

I've been looking around a bit, in case we have to abandon ship, and came across LiveJournal. Here's what one site has to say about it:

LiveJournal, formerly owned by Six Apart and written in PERL, differs from other major blog platforms because of its unique community feel and social networking features. The “friends list” provides a way for people who have LiveJournal accounts to connect with each other and a friends page displays a feed of LiveJournal posts (or “entries”) made by friends. One bad thing about LiveJournal is the fact that you must display advertisements (from LiveJournal) even if you upgrade to a Plus account. Plus users are able to change the display option for the advertisements as well as store and manage photos (not an available option in the free version) and create post polls and surveys. If you would like to go advertisement-free, you need to upgrade to a Paid account ($20 per year) which gives you many more features like creating new syndication accounts and creating a custom journal design with advanced options.

I opened an account just to check it out (http://mommadish.livejournal.com/) and it seems pretty easy to use. Does anyone else want to try? This may be premature, but I remember what happened with 360 and how we scrambled to make sure that we didn't lose anyone in the move... and then we did.

That 4 Thing Going Around...

I thought I'd resisted, but it still goes on... and it is kinda fun! So here goes...

1- Four states I've been to - New York, Louisiana, California, and Montana.
2- Four smells I love- Baking bread, garlic, Coppertone sunblock, and baby powder.
3- This one is supposed to be four people who will reply, but I'll turn this into 4 states I haven't been to- Massachusetts, Florida, Arizona, Oregon
4- Four TV shows I like- House Hunters, Supernatural, Cake Boss, House

I don't watch a lot of TV. I'd rather read a book. And I'm sure glad I didn't have to pick just 4 books I like!

Life isn't Fair

Those of you watching the news might know that my state (North Carolina) passed an amendment to our state constitution stating that NC will only recognize marriage between a man and a woman. This has caused a lot of discussion over the past few days, some of it constructive, some of it full of venom and hatred, no matter which side you were on.

As usual, I'm a moderate. I can really see both sides and was conflicted on how to vote. I listened to my friends, the people I respect, and they were on one side of the issue or the other. My Christian friends who believe in the Bible know that God sees homosexual relations as a sin, and voted "for." My more liberal friends want everyone to always have what they want when they want it, and voted "against." I was still conflicted.

After a great Facebook debate, it hit me - I had to figure out where I stood. What I stood for. What principles I live my life by. Then I would know. I won't tell you how I voted because it doesn't matter- the amendment passed with a good majority. But I did know where I stood, and that it was the right place for me to stand. At the end of the day I feel good about my vote and am happy I chose the way I did.

But it does bring to mind one thing I learned a long time ago- life isn't fair. And I don't think it was meant to be. We don't have the "right" to have anything the other person has just because we want it. When you get down to it, that is the basic idea behind communism- everyone gets what they need (until a dictator comes in and "needs" most of it!)

I did an exercise with my boys when they were little. I was so tired of hearing "it's not fair" that I declared a FAIR DAY. Things were going to be fair for one day. They were excited! They both got up at the same time, ate the same breakfast, drank at the same time, watched the same shows, had the same snack, played the same game (and had to have the same score)... which lasted about 3 hours before they screamed for mercy. They didn't want the same snack. They don't like the same shows, and they wanted someone to be victorious in the game.

It was a good lesson. Life isn't fair. You don't always get the same thing, or the same amount, that the other person has. And sometimes, the state you live in passes a law you like, and sometimes they don't. That's life. Good thing we're only here for a short time, then we're on to an eternity of better!

Gingrich shares lessons from a life in politics with students

http://www.lincolntimesnews.com/?p=51202&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gingrich-shares-lessons-from-a-life-in-politics-with-students
Despite what your personal beliefs are, this was a wonderful visit by Newt Gingrich to my daughter's school on Wednesday. He didn't speak about politics, but encouraged the students to learn something every day, dream big, and be true to themselves. I applaud Newt, who had canceled his NC tour last week, for re-thinking his visit to our town for the morning. I hope our kids learned something...

Did You See It?

Those of you who know me well know what a voracious reader I am. I read all the time. There's something wrong in my world if I don't have an open book nearby. I read the Twilight series while they were still in hardback because one of the high school girls told me she hated to read, but couldn't put it down. When my friend told me about this new series two summers ago called "The Hunger Games" I knew I had to read it too.

I don't usually like science-fiction, especially futuristic Americana. But this is so different. Suzanne Collins created an entirely different world from which we live in but made it believable. It seems familiar somehow. The characters, for the most part, are lovable; the situations, depressing. And of course, the heroine is vulnerable but courageous. I loved the book, and had to read Catching Fire and Mockingjay just as quickly as the first book.

So I've been very skeptical about seeing the movie. It is hard to take the creations in my head (the pictures that I formed while reading the book) and adapt them to what I'm seeing on the screen. Usually book-to-movie stories disappoint me. So imagine how excited I was to see the pictures in my head come to life on the big screen.

The producers did an amazing job of sticking (mostly) to the story line. The wardrobe and set designers used the images in my brain to create the characters. And, for the most part, the casting department chose actors who fit the characters. I really enjoyed seeing this book come to life on the big screen.

The one inconsistency from my mind has to be in the character of Haymitch. I saw him as more of a DeNiro character than a Woody Harrelson. You don't get a good sense of his motivation from the movie like you did in the book. He was a little too likeable. But Katniss and Peeta and all of the people in the capital looked so much like I knew they should. The author did a great job describing them, and the movie makers did a good job of listening.

If you haven't see it, or aren't sure you want to, read the book first. It starts out slowly as it sets the characters in the location and time, but quickly picks up so that you'll be wanting to read the other two books in the trilogy before you can put the first one back on the shelf. Or in my case, in the archived list on my Kindle!

"You can always tell a liberal- you just can't tell them much."

Here are some good deals- shop the Thirty-One Spring Outlet for 50-80% off! It is only open through Friday, so don't miss out! http://www.imakenews.com/eletra/go.cfm?z=thirtyone%2C586072%2CbqLtDS0y%2C5645774%2Cbl0vScq

Too Good not to Pass On...

It’s that time of the year again. Please raise your big toes and repeat after me:  As a member of the Sisterhood, I pledge to follow THE RULES when I wear sandals and other open-toe shoes:

*I promise to always wear sandals that fit. My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. And the sides and tops of my feet will not pudge out between the straps.

*I will keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free or go without.

*I will shave the hairs off my big toe.

*I won’t wear pantyhose even if my misinformed girlfriend/coworker/mother/sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there.

*If a strap breaks, I won’t duct-tape, pin, glue or tuck it back into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it.

*I will resist the urge to wear the jelly shoes of my youth out of concern for my safety, and the safety of others.  No one can walk properly when standing in a pool of sweat and I would hate to take someone down with me as I fall and break my ankle.

*I will take my toe ring off toward the end of the day if my toes swell and begin to look like Vienna sausages.

*I will promise if I wear flip flops, that I will ensure they actually flip and flop, making the correct noise while walking, and I will swear NOT to drag my feet while wearing them.  They’re not “shuffles”, they’re flip-flops.

*I promise to, every now and then, take off my sandals and splash in the puddles like a child!

Tuesday 10- Present and Accounted For

1. Whew- I didn't realize it had been so long since I'd posted anything!

2. Life is busy! The girl did so well at volleyball. Her team ended up being 5th in the south. They beat teams from Northern Michigan, Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, and Florida.

3. Things may be a bit calmer for a few weeks without volleyball every weekend and two nights a week!

4. I'm ready... they can calm down at any time!

5. Actually, it's already been nice. I went to a friend's house on Saturday and we grilled hamburgers and sat in the hot tub. Just relaxing!

6. Yesterday I took Savannah and a friend to the US Whitewater Center. This is a really neat place. It was built to use as an Olympic training center but they do way more there. You can use a raft, kayak, zip line, ropes course, rock wall, and all sorts of other things. It is a great place to just sit on the deck and watch other people do that stuff, too!

7. I just watched. It sounded like fun, but I didn't have the energy for free falls and zip lines. My book and I had a good time!

8. I'm at work today and things are pretty slow. Actually, I'm waiting on other people to do their work so I can do mine!

9. We have sets to paint tonight for children's worship on Sunday. Last week we did a big Easter mystery (complete with a visit from the Easter bunny!) and now we'll start on our Super Sports Spectacular and learn how to train to be an Olympic Christian! Sounds like fun to me!

10. So hopefully I'll do more than pop in here and read and pop out. I know I've left a few comments, but not much. Y'all have a great Tuesday out there, ya hear?

Zeebers Goes to Church... and other Sunday stuff...

Zeebers was a good boy at church this morning. He really likes people- especially ones who let him play and sing!



He couldn't figure out what all the knobs on the sound board were for, though, and the sound guy wasn't really happy about him trying them out!



He also went to Savannah's volleyball practice. I had to watch him pretty close around all the cute girls!



But Zeebers soon found out what happens when you get the attention of cute girls... they want to play dress-up with you. He is sporting a new, stylish earring!



He's such an attention hog, it didn't matter. Actually, I think he kinda likes it! He also got a new hair style. Savannah said she did it in the style of Deedee Pickles! I'm sure he wouldn't want to know that, though.

The internet is working, so I told him I'd post these pictures so everyone would know he is safe and having fun! We're going to bed now so that he can get up and have a good breakfast before we go to work tomorrow.

Zeebers is Here!!

Zeebers arrived in my mailbox on Saturday. He seemed really happy to be out of his box!



He wanted to get online and let his mommy and daddy know that he made it to NC ok. But I had to explain to him that the internet hasn't worked all week. AT&T decided to discontinue DSL in this area and replace it with U-Verse. It was supposed to be an easy "plug-this-in" kind of thing, but of course, nothing is ever that easy. Zeebers tried to help fix it, though.



So instead, he went exploring the house. Once he found Scary Cat (that Susan sent me one year) he decided to stick a little closer to me!


I was doing the dishes and he wanted to help...



... and figured out the dish detergent was the same color as his hair!



He also went digging in my purse. I guess no one ever taught him that wasn't a nice thing to do. He found some funny money! I had to explain to him that it is real money, but only if you spend it in Belize!



I made him put it away so we could get ready to go to my friend Paula's surprise birthday party. He heard the word party and was ready to go! He really liked her...



He also liked the booze that was flowing! But I reminded him that we were going home and going to bed because we had church in the morning. He was pretty good about it, but I think he kept trying to figure out how he was going to sleep in late! All in all, it was a good first day with Zeebers!

I think we have Belize brain...

Yep, there's more... wisdom from Wednesday...

- Hallelu-err... praise de Lurd!
- Sometimes we all need a time out
- Next time you're on a tour bus, look past the sights and see the people
- Beware the grande lizard
- It's a hicky day (humid and sticky, get it?)
- Sometimes I'm not a pretty plant, but I have nice fruit
- A man, no duh
- Just watch where you step
- I'll just have a granola bar
- Everyone can have my cooties
- You really can share the same spoon
- We're not in Kansas anymore
- It isn't surprise, it is awe.
- You've called the mental health hotline- for OCD issues, press 1 repeatedly
- Pride came before your fall, and I'm the one who tripped you!
- Who came up with this list?
- To Belieze or not to Belieze? That is the question
- Bad monkey!
- I'm gonna love on that fish- it's looking me in the eye
- It works when you serenade a girl and eleven of her friends
- There is no tomorrow
- I don't know what is in it- it just came that way
- I'm spontaneous!!! Well, ok, no I'm not.
- That moment when you realize you have body function envy...

More collected wisdom (really?) from Belize

- Thank you Mr. "My Mouth"
- Can I have a washcloth?
- Apparently, we all have cooties
- Behold the Beliezean Mona Lisa
- Hang that on your wall
- That's not going on the list
- You may get cancer, but the mosquitoes won't bite (speaking about Deet)
- It's like tomorrow today
- God loves God
- How did your hand fall in the sandwich?
- Smurfs or Care Bears?
- Honey, there's something in the water
- I do this every morning
- Let's be musical later
- Here, hold this, you can have it (the lady in the park who tried to give us her baby)
- This is what heaven sounds like
- They all have a name
- Encouraging others encourages you, too.
- You can make a difference to this one.
- Victory in Jesus!
- I do remember signing something, but I don't think I read it.
- I marked that part out.
- Do you want me to come hold your hand?
- Every little bit counts
- It goes around but it doesn't go down
- I have affected our toilet
- Tings already bettah.
- Oh, I think we're lost
- She's just airing out
- It's just like dating Taylor Swift
- Guys, we're so messed up!

And the wisdom from the coffeehouse wall:
- To do the impossible you need the best team.
- Everyone gets knocked down; what's important is getting back up.
- Consider no task beneath you.

Thoughts from Belize- Day Two

Believe it or not there is more...

- Candles make it all smell better
- Look, it's another lizard!
- Is that really an app on your phone?
- If only "pull my finger" really worked.
- Generic space bags DON'T work
- What is that scurrying bug I hear?
- Sure, I have room for your chocolate cake!
- Little lizards are still potent
- We love our Tender Heart Care Bear
- What happens at breakfast stays at breakfast
- The bucket only holds grace.
- It's the "J" word- and I'm not talking about Jesus!
- What would Paul say?
- Don't believe anything Paul says!
- Without Moses, we wouldn't have gotten anywhere
- Apparently, it's 24/7
- No worries, mon.
- There's a palm tree in the middle of that forest!
- It was a nice summer February day.
- Leave the crack alone
- The further down you go, the less you have to fall (said while descending the Mayan ruin)
- The Dirty Dozen- buy 12, get 1 free
- "Heck to the no!"
- Whatever floats your boat (or flies your plane)
- The feeling's passing
- It's the happy side of OCD
- God doesn't always want us to finish, He wants us to try.
- I laughed so hard tears ran down my leg.
- It's a beautiful ting
- Seeing Mike in Will's fishnet stockings... priceless

More of these seem to be inside jokes, but enjoy nonetheless! There are a few pearls of wisdom there!

Things I learned today...

Things I learned in Belize:
- Two male iguanas cannot share the same tree
- Don't flush the toilet paper
- Paula really doesn't always have everything
- Two or more bodies can share the same crypt
- Space bags really work
- Kids love worship!
- Is it burning coconut husks or cannabis?
- Give tanks for Heat!
- You must always have manners (even when grabbed)
- Racism is universal
- Sweets make friends fast
- Mission is messy
- It might be only half-done, but it is half-better
- Perfect worship doesn't always go perfectly
- If you want to shake it up, take a Belizean bus!
- You spend a lot of fishing time not catching fish
- Right now can be later
- Belizean napkins are the same size as a square of toilet paper
- "Swalloble" is a new word
- There are no bad words, only bad usage
- If you're eating together, it isn't fellowship, it's swallowship!

Belize- Day 1

I met Paula (with Ken and Luke) and Dava with David and the boys to go to the airport to catch our 10am flight to Belize City. Check in was uneventful and included the "I need to take everything out of your bag, ma'am" typical search I seem to get every time I fly! I think what triggered it was my flash drive. The guy took it out and turned it over, extended it, then put it back. I guess it looked like a pocket knife. Funny, but I missed a small hand sanitizer that should have been in my liquids bag and wasn't. They didn't find that!

The 3 1/2 hour flight was smooth and the flight crew was lots of fun. Flying in over Belize you get a good look at the blue ocean water, the scrubby tropical vegetation, and the marshy  areas that must breed malaria-carrying mosquitos! Landing you see it up close. The guy directing in the plane was in a casual white shirt, pointing with his fingers. No orange signal cones here! Of course the plane taxis up to this strip of a building and they roll the stairs out to meet the plane.

Customs was easy for me, but Paula (and her three bags) had a little bit of a hard time. We got our taste of the heat and humidity as we went out to meet our bus and our bus driver for the week, Moses. Moses has 7 children, two in college in New York and the rest here in Belize. We also met the other volunteers from Habit Missions, Ian and Letricia, Paul, and Shane.

Our first stop was in the mountains near the Guatemala border. As we headed to the mountains from the coast, the landscape changed along with the houses. Many near the coast are built to withstand hurricanes (or permanently damaged from hurricanes). We checked in our hotel, The Aguada in Santa Elena, which is beautiful, and had about 30 minutes to put things in our room before we had to be back on the bus to go to a youth rally.

People in Belize don't do things on time. They're not concerned with missing an appointment. Things start an hour or more later than announced. That's how it was with this youth rally. We were there at 6:45- others got there more like 7:30 or so. It was slow starting but it turned out to be so fun! There were youth from seven churches there. Some had prepared dances, skits, and songs to share. Paula had a suitcase full of candy and Dava had tons of silly bands that we handed out. There was one little 5 year old boy who stole all our hearts- he started out far away and came closer and closer all night. The rally ended with the youth calling out songs and us singing them, often a capella.

Some of my observations from the day:
- Youth are the same no matter where you are! They're silly, attention-grabbing, love candy, and want their voices to be heard. They're beautiful and individual and trying to find their place in the world.
- God is the same everywhere, too. He's the same in the USA as He is here. He'll do amazing things if we open our hearts to Him.
- Traveling with a group is fun. This group in particular is filled with characters! It is going to be fun to see what they'll find to pick on next!

We had a great night's sleep and I'm ready for day 2- heading to breakfast, and then I have to give the message at worship this morning. God is good- all the time, no matter where you are.

This is my last post before I wing off to the tropics- y'all be good while I'm gone!

Not Tuesday... and not Ten Thoughts either!

1. This week is flying by and I've got so much to do before Saturday! If you missed it, I'm leaving for Belize on a week long mission trip. We'll be working mostly with homeless youth. I'm excited and a little nervous, too. Leaving Savannah with my mom- and I'm not used to being gone from her that long!

2. I have to pack! I do have a good list, but haven't even cleaned out the suitcase yet. Considering I have something tonight, tomorrow night, and I have to take Savannah to a friend's (so they can take her to her volleyball tourney) on Friday, I'd better start using every minute. Guess I can rest on the plane!

3. So all my thoughts are Belize-related. For those of you who love geography, we'll be in Santa Elena, Belize City, and Caye Caulker. Luckily, it has been warm here (in the 60's) and will be in the 80's there. I hope it is still warm when we get back!

4. So that's it- no more thoughts. Which is ok... I guess I should be digging out the suitcase instead of writing blogs anyway! Have a great week!

Help Savannah reach her goal! http://honor.americanheart.org/site/TR?px=3093108&pg=personal&fr_id=1690&et=uyHd3FPLndIFrQldBwzfxQ&s_tafId=119396

Copied from a Facebook post...

50 Lessons I wish I'd learned earlier:
http://www.positivelypositive.com/2012/01/14/50-lessons-i-wish-i-had-learned-earlier-blog/

1. You’re stronger than you think you are.
2. Mistakes teach you important lessons. Every time you make one, you’re one step closer to your goal.
3. There is nothing to hold you back except you.
4. You can press forward long after you can’t. It’s a matter of wanting it bad enough.
5. No matter how much progress you make there will always be the people who insist that whatever you’re trying to do is impossible.
6. You are limited only by your own imagination. Let it fly.
7. Perception is reality.
8. Your instincts can be trusted.
9. There is only one question to ask yourself: “What would you do if you were not afraid?”
10. It’s often hard to tell just how close you are to success.
11. The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake.
12. Never let success get to your head, and never let failure get to your heart.
13. You have to fight through some bad days to earn the best days of your life.
14. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
15. Do what you love, not what you think you’re supposed to do.
16. Laughter is the best medicine for stress. Laugh at yourself often.
17. If you want to feel rich, just count all the great things you have that money can’t buy.
18. Forgiving yourself is far more important than getting others to forgive you.
19. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, you’ll often find that you’re right.
20. Be nice to yourself.
21. For the most part, it doesn’t matter what people think. Follow your own truth.
22. No education is wasted. Drink in as many new experiences as you can.
23. Making one person smile can change the world.
24. Don’t forget to enjoy your journey!
25. You never know how strong you really are until being strong is the only choice you have.
26. Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.
27. You cannot change what you refuse to confront.
28. Crying doesn’t indicate that you’re weak. It doesn’t always solve your problems either.
29. No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.
30. Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
31. You can learn great things from your mistakes when you aren’t busy denying them.
32. Give up worrying about what others think of you.
33. When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.
34. You have to accept that some things will never be yours, and learn to appreciate the things that are only yours.
35. As Henry Ford put it, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.”
36. Don’t be afraid to move out of your comfort zone. Some of your best life experiences and opportunities will transpire only after you dare to lose.
37. Giving up doesn’t always mean you’re weak, sometimes it means you are strong enough and smart enough to let go.
38. You’ll rarely be 100% sure it will work. But you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work.
39. Don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future for too long. Right now is life. Live it.
40. No matter how cautiously you choose your words, someone will always twist them around and misinterpret what you say. Just say what you need to say.
41. Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of good luck.
42. If you are passionate about something, pursue it, no matter what anyone else thinks. That’s how dreams are achieved.
43. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.
44. What lies before us and behind us are tiny matters when compared to what lies within us.
45. Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.
46. It’s not about getting a chance, it’s about taking a chance.
47. If it were easy everyone would do it.
48. Be vulnerable.
49. A problem is a chance for you to learn.
50. Regardless of the situation, life goes on.

Achoo, it's Tuesday

1. Since I was off yesterday, today felt like Monday. But I see it is time to think again. Doing this weekly is giving my brain some exercise.

2. We were in Richmond VA all weekend for a huge volleyball tournament. There were 48 courts with games happening each hour. You can't imagine the noise. Since I have a cold and my ears are stopped up, it was even worse.

3. Good part is Savannah's team won their division! We were all happy when we realized the worst they could finish going into Monday was third. Since they were up against the two biggest clubs around (one from Raleigh and one from Charlotte) we were glad of that third place guarantee. But they beat both of those clubs to win it all!

4. Makes being sick, in hotels, on the road, not seem quite so miserable.

5. Yes, I worked today but tomorrow I'm going in late. I took two Nyquil tablets and had some Bailey's over ice... so if I doze off in the middle of this, you'll know where I went!

6. Two more weeks and I'll be packing for Belize. I'm excited, and also a little nervous. I don't like leaving my girl for a week- plus, I'm going to be missing two volleyball tournaments!

7. I came home today with the intentions of taking some cold medicine and taking a nap. I fell asleep before I could take the medicine. Guess I needed the sleep, huh?

8. I hate being sick. Luckily it doesn't happen much. My ears hurt from the pressure and it is making my teeth hurt.

9. I was supposed to go to weight watchers tonight. Guess they're going to have to see me next week. I had lost 5 lbs as of last week. I'm hoping being sick (and not paying attention) doesn't hurt too much.

10. Why is it that food is a comfort? All I wanted today was soup, bread, and potatoes. Comfort food.

T3- From Romeo and Juliet to Ghostly Girls

The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

1. I'm thinking about language tonight. Savannah has to memorize the prologue to Romeo and Juliet. It is hard to read, but wonderful to dive into the richness of a language that we have lost. Have you ever thought of all the words we don't use anymore? I doubt if anyone in Shakespearean England ever said "say what?"

2. I love my Kindle. Not only because I could just go there and download and begin to read right away, but also because of the built-in dictionary. If I am unsure of a meaning, I just put the cursor right before the word and the definition pops up. I've used this feature a lot, because I usually know enough about the word to not actually have to look it up in a dictionary, but with this handy tool, I can be sure of every nuance of the word.

3. While I was downloading Romeo and Juliet, I also downloaded A Midsummer Night's Dream. That is my favorite! Probably because I love the mischievous Puck, but I also love how the humans sleep while the fairies mess with their lives!

4. Ok, so I know there are no such things as fairies... or are there? Don't you know there is more out there than what we can see? A friend sent me a picture of a ghost today. If I didn't know the girl who sent it, I wouldn't believe that it was a real, undoctored picture. But it was. A ghost- right there.  See her?



5. Yes, I do believe in ghosts. I don't know why they're here- I hate to think you could get "stuck" here after you die- but I know the Bible talks about them. And there are demons- that is even more scary. Because you really can't believe in one and not the other.

6. Then there are angels. Not the fluffy, dress-wearing, harp-playing ones, but the heavenly army, armed to do the work of God. That might be scarier than the ghosts!

7. So what else- aliens? You'd have to work a little harder to convince me of their existence in a pop-culture way. No little green men showing up to do medical experiments on me! But I do believe that there is life "out there" - I mean, look how vast the universe is! And you're going to tell me that we're the only intelligent life? (And I could argue the intelligence of some people some days!)

8. And of course, those of you who know me know that I believe in God, and in Jesus. Their existence doesn't depend on my belief, but my existence certainly depends on them!

9. So yes, it is dangerous to get me started thinking. My mind spirals off in countless directions. Aren't you glad you read this far?

10. It is bedtime. I've been having issues with sleep- mostly, I'm tired until it is time to go to bed and then I'm up until 11:30 or so. I need to be asleep an hour before that! I guess I haven't recovered from turning the clocks back. Maybe that is good- we'll be in Belize in 4 weeks and on central time for awhile. Maybe that will help straighten my sleep patterns out!

Yada yada...

I don't like New Year's resolutions. I think they're wonderful for about a week, then they mean nothing. Yeah, I need to lose weight, spend less money, exercise more... but I need to do that all year long, not just at the beginning of the year!

However, I do think the new year is a time for new beginnings. It can be a catalyst for change if you let it. So I've been thinking about what I want to do differently in 2012 besides the usual. And I drew a blank.... until today.

I noticed that a friend was going to be in town this week who I haven't seen in almost 25 years (we figured spring of 1987 was the last time.) This is a fellow saxophone major who left college in our sophomore year to try to make it big in New York City. We kept in touch for a year between several friends, but most of us lost touch afterward. Facebook has made us friends again.

John (pictured above) made it in "the biz" and is touring with the Broadway road tour of "Memphis." They're in Charlotte this week so he and I made plans to meet for lunch today. Part of me didn't want to go- it meant driving (and parking) in downtown Charlotte, taking about 4 hours of my day off, and chancing meeting a friend who I may find out I didn't really know after all.

But I shouldn't have even worried about it at all! We had a blast- found a wonderful soul food restaurant and spent 3 hours catching up, possibly sharing details of our lives that we wouldn't share with people we were in contact with every day. It was like those 25 years weren't there between us and we were able to just fall back into a friendship that has existed all that time. 

So I think this could be something to work toward in 2012- reconnecting with people. I don't know who or when, but somehow I shouldn't let 25 years go by if I can help it. I need to take a chance and step out there, make some contacts, and see what I can put together. And it may mean meeting some online people in person, too. Since Susan and I spent a day with her family in Dollywood 2 years ago, I haven't connected with anyone else online. And I understand that Eby Jo and Bill and Karen had fun today in Kentucky- so it can be done!

I don't know where and how, but I'd love to take some day trips to those of you close enough. Or try to take a vacation close to some friends. I'll have to give it more thought, but this is more than one of those resolutions that will be gone in a week. Even if it is another year before I see anyone, it will be a step forward.