Related

So, I have a new show I watch thanks to Valerie's tivo. I must admit that it is highly addicting to be able to fast forward commercials and record shows to watch whenever you want!

Anyways. The show is called Related and it's about four sisters. It's really funny and also serious at times. The best thing about the show is their relationship and how they are always there for each other. It makes me wish I had a sister. But, I will say, though I don't have a sister, I have great friends and cousins that have filled the role in many ways.

Casting Crowns

I went to the Casting Crowns concert last night.

It was really good.  There were several songs
that had very good lyrics.  Here is one of them.



Is there anyone that fails

Is there anyone that falls

Am I the only one in church today feelin’ so small

Cause when I take a look around

Everybody seems so strong

I know they’ll soon discover

That I don’t belong

So I tuck it all away, like everything’s okay

If I make them all believe it, maybe I’ll believe it too

So with a painted grin, I play the heart again

So everyone will see me the way that I see them

Are we happy plastic people

Under shiny plastic steeples

With walls around our weakness

And smiles to hide our pain

But if the invitation’s open

To every heart that has been broken

Maybe then we close the curtain

On our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who’s been there

Are there any hands to raise

Am I the only one who’s traded

In the altar for a stage 

The performance is convincing

And we know every line by heart

Only when no one is watching

Can we really fall apart

But would it set me free

If I dared to let you see

The truth behind the person

That you imagine me to be

Would your arms be open

Or would you walk away

Would the love of Jesus

Be enough to make you stay

Band aid Burn

So this morning I took off the band aid where I had gotten my blood drawn yesterday. I was shocked to see a raised area that was blue and purple. It looked like I had been bit or something. Apparently I had a reaction to the band aid. Odd. Anyone ever had that before?!

Recruitment Strategist

Today I accepted a new job position. It is a Recruitment Strategist for Florida Hospital. I will be working with one of my good friends and working close to my apartment.

Broken

Today is a sad day. Many things that I had been hoping for and excited about for a long time came crashing down. I know God is still in control and it's a good thing, because I'm not, but I just don't understand His timing sometimes. There are so many things that I don't understand. It frustrates me and I am disappointed and sad.

Not what I expected

So, I'm in Orlando now. And I have to say, it's not what I pictured in my mind. I feel a bit lost. I'm glad to be here and all. But things have changed since I left. Maybe I've changed some. I don't really know. Everything is stressful right now. I feel like people have all of these expectations of me. And I'm so tired. It's hard for me to feel like I measure up right now. I guess everyone goes through phases like this. I'll probably feel better once I get my job straightened out and my apartment more lived in.

75 degrees and sunny

Today is a lovely day. As mentioned in my title the weather is perfect. I heard Chattanooga got snow this morning. :)

My dad and I drove down on Saturday. It was a pretty good drive. Bisous did well but I think she was glad to get out of the car.

Last night I watched the Superbowl. I didn't really care for either team, but since my dad and Kevin voiced strong opinions against the Steelers, I decided to root for Seattle. Unfortunately things did not go well for them. The commercials were disappointing. I think one year the Superbowl had great commercials, which gave girls something fu to say about the game. "Yeah, I don't watch it for the game, I watch it for the commercials." But maybe that was just a one time thing. Because this year, they were kindof dumb, and I don't remember last year being that great either.

Overall it was fun though. We watched the game under little heaters outside on a projection screen by the pool. If you're going to watch the game, that's a good way to do it.

Anyways. My stuff comes tomorrow so hopefully everything will arrive in tact.

Kenny's Wedding Pictures

My friend Kenny Willes got married last month. His website has a great slideshow of the pictures for anyone who is interested.

http://www.kenandallison.com/

Moving Trucks

Thursday will make the third time in less than two years that moving trucks have come for my things. I'm very lucky that nothing has broken so far and I hope the trend continues!

I had my evaluation at work today. My boss said some nice things about me. It's always nice to hear what you are good at. I'm going to miss working for her.

I'm also going to miss being able to drive to Chattanooga for the weekend. It's been nice being "home" for awhile. You all will have to come and visit me!

Peace

In the last two weeks I have had conflict in almost every major area of my life. I was talking to a friend about this and she said that God often speaks to her in themes. So she asked if there was something that God was trying to teach me through all the conflict. I hadn't thought of it from that perspective. I'm not sure what God wants me to learn, unless it's just simply to trust him more. To learn to live by faith and trust that he is leading me. Perhaps that isn't so simple after all. But certainly a lifelong goal.

From all of this I wrote a song. I can't share the tune through my blog, but here are the words.

Dona Nobis, Dona Nobis Pachem.
Grant us peace Lord, grant us peace Lord, grant us peace Lord, grant us peace.

There was a dream, such a dream
Made not long ago
A dream of peace, a dream of love
For valleys high and low

But we're still fighting, sadly fighting
Against the great unknown
And we cannot learn to listen, and learn to let it go

If I bleed red and so do you
Must we die to find it's true?

Pride and anger, mixed with fear
Causes men to fight
And say we're different, so different
The rich, the black the white

But in Christ there are no nations
There is no slave nor free
But instead we are his children
And today we ask for peace.

Grant us peace Lord.

Every Feeling Revolts

To quote Emma after she discovered that her best friend, Mr. Knightly was possibly marrying another. This was also the same moment she realized that she was in love with him.

Sometimes you just know things. You have a gut feeling either screaming "NO!" at you or strongly moving you forward in a certain direction.

I feel this way about an option I've been offered right now career wise. It just feels wrong. I'm not trying to be close minded or foolish. But yet, my gut feeling rarely misleads me. While it's true sometimes I'm not sure what my gut feeling is or perhaps I want something so badly that I just THINK it's what I "know" there are times when I just don't think I'm wrong about something.

There is a reason God gave us a head and a heart. You need both to make decisions. Many times your heart will tell you what you know is true based on things you have learned in the past or experiences you have had. And while all these things could be logically laid out, often they first present themselves in a feeling, a conviction. From my experience, it's best to listen to this feeling. I think of it as a compass, guiding you to be true to yourself.

Quote of the day

I ran across a quote at Barnes and Noble today that I found very interesting. "A mature relationship doesn't begin until after the disappointment."

I'm not sure how applicable this is to relationships beyond love, but I think in that case especially it's a very insightful statement. In the beginning of a relationship you see only the good qualities that the other person has. You are both on your best behavior. But sooner or later you realize that he or she is human, just like you. If your relationship is shallow or an essential quality is compromised, the disappointment could be the of end things. But often times it is how you recover from the disappointment that makes or breaks your relationship.

Disappointment

Something happened today which I don't feel like going into right now, but let's just say everything I was hoping and planning for career-wise feels turned upside down. By Monday my world could be right side up again, but right now, I just don't know what to do or what will work out. I know God has a plan and I know things will work out. I just hope that I have messed up somewhere. I'm moving back to Orlando in two weeks, and right now my job future is not very certain. I don't know what I will be doing. Please pray for me that the right position will work out and that I will have peace about the direction that I should take.

Perspectives

Today I read in my Organizational Behavior Textbook about perceptions. How different people can look at the same thing and see something entirely different. I feel like that has been happening a lot lately. 2 of my good friends are struggling with a similar issue as me. Their parents feel very strongly that the person they are dating is wrong for them. Some say that perception is reality. And to a degree that is true. But then there is also the real reality. The things that you miss because of your peception.

Often you find what you are looking for. So you must decide if you are really looking for the truth and the reality in a situation or if you only seek ammunition to fuel an opinion already formed.

Just Friends

Tonight we had a Girls Night Out. It was a lot of fun. Heather and Amanda and I had a quick supper at Panera Bread and than watched the movie Just Friends. It is hilarous! It's one of the best comedys I have seen this year. I highly recommend it. Click the link below for more information on the movie.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433400/

After laughing for an hour and a half we went to Starbucks. There was a group of loud teenagers "hanging out" in the store so we decided Barnes and Nobles was more condusive for talking. We had a good conversation and it was nice to all spend time together. :)

Things not to say when meeting a guy

"I'm ready for my reproductive stage."
"We have the whole "Insert job here" thing in common!"
"Like, um, kindof, sortof, like..."

Discovery Channel

I don't often watch documentaries. But I was looking at different Sabbath appropriate channels (Animal Planet, Discovery Channel....) and I came across an interesting show in the building of the pyramids in Eygpt. Maybe all of you history buffs know this already, but I didn't so I'm sharing.

Apparently the first pyramid was built because it was supposed to be a gateway to eternal life for the King. The Eygptions believed that a certain point in the sky that never moved, was Heaven because it was constant even though stars move around it. So they positioned the king so that he was high off the ground. There was a hole cut into the pyramid and I think even the coffin that was exactly the right angle to the point in the sky they believed was Heaven. And they believed that if their king went to Heaven, all of Egypt would be saved also.

Kindof interesting. The documentary ended with this thought.

The Great pyramids were built to answer the most important age-old questions of all time.
What happens to us when we die? And what do we do about it while we are alive?

Interesting....

Brr cold

Today was very cold. It even snowed this morning! I like snow when I have time to enjoy it. It makes everything so pretty. But, I only like it in short bursts. I'm not sure how I would feel living somewhere where it was snowy from Oct-March. I guess you learn to dress for it.

I've been looking at apartments. It's very frustrating. There are so few availabilities. It's very much a sellers market in Orlando right now. But I found one option that I think may work out. It won't be as nice as my first apartment, but I think it should be okay.

Happy Sabbath!

Happy New Year

I hope everyone has had a great break. I had lots of visitors so that was fun. My house feels rather empty now though :(

Kevin came up Thursday. We had a fun day and exchanged Christmas presents that night.
My parents came up to visit on New Years Eve. We walked around Opry Mills and admired the lights. I think it went fairly well for the first outing.
Paul and his girlfriend Alisha came up yesterday. We had a great time at the spaghetti factory!

Today we had coffee with Jackie, a friend in Nashville, and her husband. We have tried several times to get together so I'm glad it worked out today.

Christmas Pictures