news flash

thought i was going to lunch today.
didn't.
got pasta salad instead.
debated on whether to get another diet coke to accompany said pasta salad.
(*important background- drank a 44 oz. while listening to mike and mike on the way in this morning)
decided to save the $1.61 and have water instead.
filled up my dickey's cup (they're the best cups, by the way) with crushed ice and water.
drank it all.
even enjoyed it.
too bad the yogurt that accompanied this meal was rotten...

beans, beans the magical fruit

my morning news roundup brought this story to my attention. quite amusing, however i think that a can of beans would have gotten the point across a little bit better than a plastic container... another impressive addition to hugh grant's rap sheet.

musings

dead at age 25.

i came out of the gym yesterday, only to discover that an acquaintance had passed away from a brain tumor. he was 25. we casually knew each other from baylor but were by no means close friends. i have so enjoyed his father's updates on his condition, particularly his "through spiritual eyes" perspective throughout this illness and have lifted him up in prayer quite often. in fact, for a few weeks there i had moved him down a few slots on my prayer rotation because he was doing so well. two weeks was all it took and then he was gone.

my first reaction was shock followed by an internal exclamation of "Lord, that's just not fair!" i was taken aback by that knee-jerk response and have been giving it a lot of thought. i think my reaction reveals quite a bit about how i view God and my relationship to/with Him even after all these years as a believer.

my desire for fairness, in this situation and in others, reveals that in many ways i still view myself as in control. stacking up my good works and deeds in order to somehow please the Lord, to sway His favor, to convice Him to let me into heaven. no mention of grace, no mention of Christ's life, death and resurrectio, just me thinking, in vain, that i have something to contribute. i claim that i'm "saved by grace" with my mouth but live by works in my heart.

and as i thought of this further, in the context of death, i realized that the lack of fairness in death, and really in the life of a believer in general, is what gives us the blessed hope that we cling to in times like these. life isn't fair, and therein lies our salvation.

my friend put his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and accepted the free gift of grace extended to him. his life wasn't perfect and though it was over too soon, he has entered into an eternal victory and joy that i can only imagine. if life was fair, i doubt that his family and friends would be rejoicing because who can truly satisfy the standard required?

i'm still amazed at how God chose to reveal all of this to me. that He cares enough to slowly but surely reveal the layers of faulty thoughts and beliefs that characterize my thoughts. truly, "renewing my mind" as i walk through life. hallelujah, what a Saviour, who cared enough to make life unfair!

Dying Christian to His Soul
Attributed to Hadrian; Translated by Alexander Pope
Vital spark of heav'nly flame! Quit, oh quit this mortal frame
Trembling, Hoping, ling'ring, flying, Oh the pain, the bliss of dying!
Cease, fond Nature, cease thy strife, And let me languish into life.
Hark! they whisper; Angles say, Sister Spirit, come away.
What is this absorbs me quite? Steals my senses, shuts my sight,
Drowns my spirits, draws my breath? Tell me, my Soul, can this be Death?
This world recedes; it disappears! Heav'n open on my eyes and ears
With songs seraphic ring:
Lend, lend your wings! I mount! I fly!
O Grave! where is thy Victory? O Death! where is thy Sting?

blah, blah, blog

i know, i know it's been a while and you've missed me...

this post is simply a shout out to triplett and laurette, proud owner of her own blog www.wolfepackpower.blogspot.com, who are the only ones who seem to have missed my musings on the glorious world wide web.

this one's for you kids...

and so it begins

i got home from class last night to find a large package with my name on it waiting for me from pottery barn. i opened it up to find our first wedding present! the duvet cover and shams pictured at left. i had wondered who would send us our first gift and it didn't surprise me a bit to see that the gift was from my aunt Patsy. i called her to thank her and told her that if i could have picked out one gift, this would have been it. she always could pick the perfect gift and this time she did it again. THANK YOU PATSY!!!

99 balloons

i meat matt and ginny mooney when i worked with them at k-klassic in the summer of 2003. i became reacquainted with them through their blog www.mattandginny.blogspot.com that chronicled the life and ultimately death of their precious son, eliot. i really encourage you to go to their blog and read in entirety eliot's story. it is one of God's great grace and faithfulness and the story of a couple's struggle to find hope amidst heartache. it's raw and it's real but it is a powerful story to remind us of who God is and who we are and that He is always bigger and always greater than what we can conceive. if you don't have time to read the blog, then please go here, click on the videos tab and look for the video entitled "99 balloons." it's a 6 minute video of eliot's life and story, sure to bring you joy and to remind you of what a blessing today is. please check it out, you will be blessed

little 'ole Waco

direct from the travel section of the New York Times...

Travel / Escapes
In Obliging Waco, Dr Pepper Is the King

By FINN-OLAF JONES
Published: January 12, 2007

In the old cowboy town of Waco, Tex., the Wild West is hospitable, liberating and as broad as the dry, grassy plains around town.

*click here for the rest of the story

joe camel would be proud

the smokers in my office just came back from their 4th smoke break of the day. i did some simple calculations and quickly determined that i should light up as soon as possible (so not going to happen)- here's why:

1 smoke break = 15 minutes
4 smoke breaks per day = 1 hour
5 day work week = 5 hours for smoke breaks
5 hours *times* 52 weeks = 260 hours smoking per year
260 hours *divided by* 24 hours per day = 10.83 extra vacation days per year

that's right, those who smoke in my office have 10.83 EXTRA VACATION DAYS than i do all because they decided long ago that inhaling noxious fumes of questionable origin was the "cool" thing to do...

the simple things

Dear Anonymous Shopper,

I just wanted to thank you for purchasing the blender from our registry. It simply made my day to scroll down and see that little gem of an item (M's only wedding request) marked complete. My heart swelled with joy and gratitude. Thank you for making my Monday.

Sincerey,
Me

p.s. I feel like I need to go watch the "Blender" breakdown scene from Father of the Bride now...