Suckered

When I go shopping I tend to get suckered in by good salespeople.  If they give me a good sales pitch I have a really hard time saying no.  I don't even think it's because they've talked up the product so well, it's more that I want to reward them for doing such a good job.  Then if I don't buy what they're selling I feel a little guilty for taking up their time.  

I wish I could be more rational and say, "no, I just came in for my free panty, I don't need a new bra. I don't care if it makes me look 2 cup sizes bigger. What makes you think I need the extra help anyway?"  But all of the sudden it begins to sound like something I can't live without and how can I say no to that? Rationality goes out the window.

For this reason, I usually walk into stores with my head down and try not to make eye contact with sales associates.

So I was going through my makeup drawer the other day and came across this:

I bought it on vacation a year ago and have used it maybe....twice?  What the heck do I need to mist my face for? The only thing that will give me a fresher look these days is a good night's rest and maybe some prozac. This is for people who actually wear makeup to more events than just church. 

Can you say sucker? 

If this looks like something you would use, it's all yours....I've got it on good authority that it's the best face mist money can buy.

100 ~ Meditation Mondays

It's my 100th post today. Thought I would celebrate by changing my look! To be honest, I'm kinda surprised I made it to 100.  When I first started my blog I thought I would throw up everytime I posted something.  Mostly because I'm a private person, kinda shy.  Not putting myself out there and not making waves.  Just being.  It's super easy to just be.  Me and my comfortable self were getting along just fine until one morning.

After spending some time in the Word that July morning, I felt a nudge from the Lord to share about my life and what I'm learning about Him. And, no matter what, make it honest.

What Lord? Am I really supposed to let people know that I don't have it all together?  Have them know I am not a "perfect" Christian?  Oh my goodness, what if they know that I don't always adore being a mom and I don't always make the right decisions?

Well, I did it.

And don't think I haven't second guessed it, compared it, hated it and loved it all at the same time.  But what I once treasured - my privacy - has taken a backseat to my faith.  And that's a good thing.

If this blog is for me only, I have learned.  I learned that obedience moves you forward.  Brings you closer to the Lord.  Makes you hunger for more of what Christ wants for your life.  Makes you not want to miss another nudge.

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This Week's Verse

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

II Timothy 1:7

Pump It Up

Recently my friend Anna and I got some groupons for a pop in playtime at Pump it Up.  We took our girls today and had a blast!  It's a perfect place for a cooped up mom and kids.  We got to burn off some of our winter energy together.

At the end of our play time, I'm not sure who was more tired - the moms or the kids.

Here are a few things I appreciated about Pump It Up playtimes


~ no kids 7 and older allowed (so no older kids were plowing over the little ones)

~ fairly inexpensive (under 23 mo. and moms are free)

~ not overly crowded

~ only 1 1/2 hours - perfect amount of time to get a lot of fun in!


What a fun place!  We will be going back! 

It's All in the Details ~ Meditation Mondays

I just finished reading the gospel of Mark for my morning quiet time. I feel like I can identify with Mark and how he gives an account of Jesus's time here on earth. He gives short, to the point descriptions of Jesus's encounters with others and his death and resurrection.  Bare bones.  No details, just facts. 

I write like Mark.  I interact in my everyday life like Mark. I get bored with details.  You lose me easily if you give me too many particulars in a story.  I put down a book I'm reading if it goes into too much detail about the scenery or the smells or the sounds. I just want people to get to the point.  So that's how I interact, I get to the point - fast.

Although I see details as filler in books and sometimes boring in conversations, I find myself wanting more of them when reading scripture. I want to know that after Judas's betrayal, Jesus healed the soldier's ear after it was cut off.  I want to know who cut it off. I want to know and feel the weight of Pilate's decision to crucify Christ.  I want to know that one of the men crucified with Jesus was saved.

I want to know the details.

It's such a gift to have 4 different accounts of Jesus's life, death and resurrection. Each book brings a new perspective, ignites different senses, gives more specifics.  When it comes to God's word, it's all in the details.

Makes me wonder if I should slow down in life and pay more attention to details.

                                                         

This week's verse

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Formalities

While reading a magazine, I came across a book review for this book the other day...

I haven't actually read the book but the title and the review sum it up pretty well I imagine.  With more and more women joining and becoming powerful in the workforce, men have become less depended upon. This has kind of left them floundering in a way and, not having to "man up" and provide, they are staying "boys" longer. This does kind of make sense...

So, merely hours after reading this review, I got my cousin's wedding invitation in the mail.  I decided to go ahead and RSVP because I knew if I didn't soon it would probably get lost. So here's how I RSVP'd...


M  r. and Mrs. Tami Driggers

Number of attending____4___

Regrets_________________


Oops....coincidence?

I told Eric how I responded and he just laughed and said, "that doesn't surprise me." 

Consider this reassurance to my husband...I do need you and appreciate you manning up for me, I just don't understand formalities.

Mother-induced Sensitivity

It's amazing how hypersensitive I've become to sounds and disturbances now that I've become a mother. I swear, every woman acquires senses and hearing a dog would covet when they become a mom. While this is true for all times of the day, it's especially noticeable during sleeping time.  

For instance, you're sitting there enjoying naptime when the UPS man rings the doorbell.  Your blood pressures raises, you hold your breath and pray the kids didn't hear it, and then you fight the urge to chase him out the door and scream at him like a crazy person.  Like, who in their right mind would ring the doorbell at 2 pm?


Here are a few other things that I now find a little irritating:


~ Daylight Savings Time

~ Tornado Warning tests in the middle of the afternoon (aka naptime)

~ My husband stepping on the "squeaky" part of the floor in the morning

~ Birds chirping at 6 am

~ Power outages

~ Thunder storms


Feel free to add to my list my fellow Type A moms...

A Kiss of Betrayal

I like the saying "do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"  Probably because I just like sarcastic, quick witted comebacks. But, as I was reading the story of Judas's betrayal this morning that saying kept coming to mind. How could Judas kiss Jesus in betrayal with the same mouth that probably hours or days earlier professed his love for him?  What a slap on the face. He approached Jesus with a loving gesture to betray him...I would think this would be even worse than calling out from afar "There He is! That's Jesus, capture him!"

It's so easy to think, "how could he do this? How greedy. How conniving and deceitful. He must have never truly loved Jesus or believed in him."

Scary thing is though, I find myself relating to Judas. How many days have I spent the morning using my lips to praise and worship the Father, only in the afternoon to fail him with those same lips?  My words and actions contradict my beliefs often. Then I feel guilty as all get out and ask for forgiveness. Obviously Judas felt guilt....it caused him to hang himself.  I can't imagine the weight of that guilt.  So weighty that repentance must have seemed beyond reach.

If I were under pressure like Judas, would I betray my Savior?  All that is in me says "no," but Judas knew Jesus, like, in person, and could still do it. So how much easier would it be for me who "has not seen yet believed?" Judas's story always makes me so aware of how close Satan is and how ready he is to attack.


*As part of a church program I have committed to memorizing 1 verse a week for an entire year.  I thought I would post the verse I'm learning every Monday in case anyone wanted to memorize with me!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

These are probably my favorite verses in the Bible since I tend to get a "little" anxious at times. :)

Next Detour ~ Tam and Nat Take New York

After our Boston visit, Nat and I said a sad goodbye to Jenae and boarded a sketchy bus for New York.  But, I suppose you can't expect much for a $24 ride.

We made it to NY alive and hit the ground running because we really only had about 1 day there.  We were quickly suckered into buying tickets to a comedy show from a guy on the street.  He boasted that comedians from The David Letterman show were often there.  Well, when we got to the show that night, not only was the ticket salesman one of the comedians, we were about 2 of 20 people in the audience. Chalk it up to an ignorant tourist move...

The next day we awoke early to wait in the stand-by by line for The View

We made some friends while standing in line. We spent a few hours with these 2 waiting to see if we got in.  April (with the Umbrella) was picked to do the segue to the commercial later - she was pumped!

We were in the very back row but we made it!

Make-up time during commercial break.  They would answer questions from the audience during commercials.

After The View it was off to see the Statue of Liberty.  We were the only ones on the Subway for several stops which was super eerie, since there is ALWAYS people around in NYC. 

So we capitalized on this opportunity to try out some of our latest moves.  I ended up falling down...ahhh, immaturity - it's good for the soul.

 

Next up: Broadway

We ate a famous NYC hot dog while we waited in line for 1/2 price tickets to a Broadway show.

We got tickets to Mama Mia!  Since I needed to pick up some make-up at Bare Escentuals we got the bright idea to get our make-up done for the show.  We thought we looked great at Mamma Mia, but when we got back to the hotel and looked through our pictures we found out we actually looked like transvestites without our wigs on.  We laughed so hard we cried. 

OK so we aren't quite Kim and Kourtney, nor do we want to be, but we did have the time of our lives!

Whatever is True

So, as you know, I've been a little down in the dumps lately. I was really looking forward to my getaway to yes, getaway from it all. I think Nat was scared I was going to ruin our trip by crying the whole time. I may have let a few tears fall on our plane ride over there....and a few fellow passengers may have turned around in their seats to see what was going on.

Thank God for my friend though, she spoke truth to me and now I get it. She told me to focus on these verses.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. 

Philippians 4:8 

That's just it. My friend saw in me what I couldn't see. I was focusing, obsessing even, on things that were not true.  Only imagined.  Only blown up in my mind.  Blown up so huge they were crowding out whatever was true.  I took a few bothersome things that were said and done to me and let my thoughts run wild with self pity, words and actions of revenge, jealousy, and the list goes on.  Before I knew it, I was fully resentful and fully unaware of it. For the life of me, I couldn't pinpoint why I was so sad.  I knew it had to be more than the "winter blues" because this sadness was a soul sadness.  My thoughts had been taken captive without my knowing and they brought me to a dark place I'd never been before. 

Satan sure is crafty, isn't he?

It's going to take me a while to get out of the hole I've dug for myself but I do feel hope again.  Joy even.  I just wish I had seen it sooner before I became such a mess.  Now I am aware of the darkness and I am prepared for it. Instead of my thoughts revolving around self-pity and what smart-alecky thing I would say if the opportunity arose, I am trying to focus on what exactly is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

I allowed Satan to get me into this mess but the Lord's gonna get me out.

First Detour - Boston

If you've never gotten a chance to take a trip with your best buds...do it.  There is nothing like staring adventure in the face with a friend.  Mix in a little immaturity and you will feel a spark again.  The spark that got forgotten somewhere along the road to responsibility and maturity. That darn road that tells you it's time to act your age, talk a certain way, go certain places, get involved, and put on a happy face while doing it. The road of adulthood.

So, I took a detour off this blah road and threw my responsible hat out the window for a few days.  First, my friend Natalie and I went to visit our friend Jenae in Boston.  Okay, so we knitted on the plane and if that doesn't say "adult, verging on old lady" nothing does, but we did giggle most of the way so that makes up for it.

Reconnecting

Here's Jenae and her family in the hats we knitted them...aren't they an adorable family??

Bieber Fever

Nat and I slept in the girl's room....the one with the Justin Bieber poster hanging on the wall.  FYI - I look like I'm kissing Jenae but it's supposed to be the Justin poster...

Together Again at Last!

We braved the subway together for a shopping outing




A Good Find



Jenae had this fabulous jacket from H&M that Nat and I raved about. And, what do you know? When we went shopping that day it was 1/2 price, so we got one too! Our style is very original...




A World Away



We walked around the Harvard campus and I'm pretty sure this is as close as we are ever going to get to setting foot inside the library there.



 A Must Have

Had some amazing New England Clam Chowder!

Beautiful Boston 



This is Jenae's view!

You know those easy friends? The ones you haven't seen for a while but you can just pick up where you left off with?  Well, that's Jenae.  Within the first few hours of getting there we had all laughed, cried, and just felt blessed to be friends and still be a part of each others lives.

So, to my faraway friend, you are loved and you are missed!  Thanks for being such an easy friend.