Eek!

I was so excited yesterday when I peered into my mailbox. I saw that my passport had arrived. I went inside, let the dog out, fed him, and let him out again before I sat down to open the envelope and carefully slip out my new passport. The first thing I noticed was that it was a lot thicker than my previous passport. It's that newfangled technology I guess. Next, I opened it and started flipping through it to see what the pages looked like. Then I saw it. My passport, which I had been very pleased with, was distorted grossly by the government's printer. I look really scary and paler than usual (which is REALLY pale!)! Oh well. I'll probably look really scary when I use it, what with mission hair and all. Despite the misrepresentation of my complexion and head-to-neck ratio, I'm quite pleased and incredibly excited! What a good day!

Confession

I have a confession to make: I am a baby when it comes to needles.

The first time I had my blood drawn, the nurse almost had to have another nurse sit on me. Granted, I was only 8, but ten years later I still had to have my mommy hold my hand. Even worse than getting blood taken is getting shots. They don't ease the needle in. Instead, they throw it like a javelin deep into your arm. Who wouldn't be afraid of that?

Why am I confessing this now? I was discussing whether or not to get the recommended vaccines for my trip to Brazil, and I was firmly on the NOT side. I was planning on getting my tetanus updated and calling it a day, but I was then informed that Yellow Fever is pretty bad in Brasilia, one of the cities I'll be going to. I arrogantly replied with, "Oh, I'll be fine!" Then the good news fairy said that Yellow Fever is carried by mosquitoes. Well, guess who mosquitoes love to nibble on? That's right, me. I go outside for two seconds and end up with about 47 mosquito bites the size of a quarter. That being said, guess who's getting the Yellow Fever vaccine? me.

This is forewarning that I will be the biggest baby on the planet until all of the necessary javelins get launched into my arm.

Cello Cases

I spent a disgusting amount of money today. I ordered the cello case and flight cover that will protect my instrument while in cargo on the plane. I was incredibly nauseous through the entire ordering process, but now that I've ordered, I just feel blessed that it was possible. God has really provided through this whole process and is continuing to show me that He is in control and cannot be bound by a calendar or a calculator.

So, do you want to see what I'm getting?


Here's the case. I'm getting the silver one (blue wasn't available). It's a Bam Classic with wheels.



















And here's the flight cover. It looks heavy... but it also has wheels!

I'm going to Brazil?

Usually when I stop blogging it's because I'm extra stressed at work and can't free my mind. But the past couple of weeks of no blogging is a result of being so overwhelmed by God that I haven't been able to find the words to write. I've sat down to blog several times over the past few weeks, but I could never find words big enough or good enough to explain what God was/is doing in my life. Whatever words I use would certainly be puny in comparison to who God is. So here's what's going on...

On February 6, I went to a church orchestra workshop led by Camp Kirkland, big time church music arranger. Camp shared about a music mission trip to Brazil as well as some other mission opportunities through Global Missions Project for instrumentalists. I was interested in the idea, so I went to the Global Missions Project website and starting looking at all of the different projects they had scheduled for the next year. At the top of the list was the Brazil trip that Camp mentioned, but I thought to myself, "That is way too soon and so not possible!" I perused the website that Saturday, Sunday, and again on Monday searching for the mission project that would be most appealing to me and the one that seemed the most financially feasible.

Over those three days, it was like God was pointing a huge arrow toward the Brazil trip. Sure that He was mistaken, I discussed these factors in full with God:
• I could not raise $2,995 by June.
• Never in my life have I wanted to go to Brazil or anywhere in South America.
• What?! I have to also pay for 2 meals a day and oversized luggage fees for my cello? Another $800?!?!
• I don't have a current passport and can't afford one.
• There's just not enough time!

Even after "discussing" these things, I knew that God wanted me on that trip. So, that Tuesday morning, I registered and shortly after paid my deposit and started the ball rolling.

Now that it's two weeks later, I wonder: Have you ever felt like God was laughing at you? Every time someone hands me a check, I feel like I can hear God chuckling while saying, "Duh! You can't raise that much money, but I can!" And while I'm impatiently waiting for the status of my passport to change from "processing" to whatever is next, I really think God is enjoying watching me squirm.

Basically, I think He's enjoying watching me learn that my timeline and my desires don't matter. He can make things happen in 4 months no problem! He can give me a heart that wants to go to Brazil. He can even make me love the people there before I get there! He can provide for a huge financial need. He can do all of these things because He never fails, and I love that about Him!

More updates on my mission project to come...

1/12 of the way there

I have officially completed the first full month sticking to my 2010 goals. Here are my thoughts so far ...

I've been super consistent in working out. I work out an hour a day five days a week. I've also been pretty good at counting my calories and eating my fruits and veggies, but I am incredibly frustrated that I'm not losing any weight. I know that I am lenient on my calories on the weekends, but seriously! I come out of that gym dripping sweat every day and nothing?! Not any weight?! So that's a little frustrating. Weight lost: 2.8 pounds (27.2 to go)

Another frustration is that I forgot to scan my card before one of my workouts, so the gym only has 19 recorded workouts for me instead of 20. I hate it when I'm to blame! It's the worst. Workouts at gym: 19 (technically. 81 to go)

I thought working out at the gym would be the hardest goal to accomplish, but I've found finding time to read incredibly difficult. Really finding extra time at all in my schedule is a little hard to do. By the time I get home from work I don't want to use my brain any more so I had to force myself to read. It paid off because I thoroughly enjoyed both books I read last month (The Blogging Church and Emma by Jane Austen), but I'm afraid I'll have to force myself to begin every book and even force myself through the first few chapters until I'm in to deep to stop reading. Books read: 2 out of 24

As far as my financial goals ... well, I hate money. It stresses me out something fierce. If everything goes as planned I'll be debt free by the end of March, so that's awesome. I can't really be frustrated about that, now can I?

All in all, January was a productive month and I didn't give up on any of my goals. The process to reach and the outcome of some goals may not have been great, but I'm just gonna hang in there and see what happens.

Week 3: I'd rather not talk about it

Week 3 was not a great week. I didn't lose any weight, I barely read out of my current book, this is only my first blog of the week, and I spent more money than I should have. Even though it was a disappointing week, I know what went wrong and what I can change next week. Here are the three major factors:

1. I need to drink more water. I worked out for one hour five days this week and only drank about 20 ounces of water each day. That is just not enough. Diet Coke should not be used as a substitute. (I say this as I drink one right now.)

2. I shouldn't stress about things I can't control. This week I retired from a ministry I was a part of for 10 years, and I know that is what God called me to do, but I also know that there are a lot of people that aren't happy with the decision or the timing. But here's the thing: it was God's decision and God's timing, so I don't need to stress out over the fact that people don't agree with that.

3. I should not eat all you can eat tacos. That just opened the door for birthday cake, Ben & Jerry's, cookies, and too much more. Now that I look back on it, I should have gained about 75 pounds this week.

I'm excited about a well-hydrated, stress-free week next week with no appearance from the words "all you can eat" unless it's celery.

Week 2: Frustration

Week two has been frustrating.

I've had headaches all week, which has kept me from reading, so I have some major catching up to do. I started reading Emma, and my goal is to have it done by a week from Sunday because KCPT is airing a movie version that night. Out of 55 chapters, I have read two. I know what I'll be doing this weekend!

My determination kept me from using my headaches as an excuse not to work out, and I managed to get all of my workouts in this week. I'm using the Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start DVD, and it's kicking my butt! I've also spent 30-40 minutes working out at the ROC Fitness Center every day, which is also kicking my butt. My feet hurt so bad I think I would welcome amputation. Now that I've put in the work, what kind of results did I get? Well, if you watch Biggest Loser, you know that week two is notoriously bad for weight loss. My week two wasn't horrible, but it wasn't as good as I was hoping for. I lost .8 pounds bringing my total loss to 3.4 pounds in two weeks, which I'm proud of.

Hopefully week three will be a better one!

The Blogging Church

A few weeks after starting a blog and Facebook and Twitter accounts for my church, I decided I should know how to make the most of them, so I went to Amazon.com to find some good reads. I made a list of about 75 books that I want to read, but only ended up buying two: The Blogging Church by Brian Bailey and Less Clutter. Less Noise. by Kem Meyer. Those two books moved from flat surface to flat surface in my house for a couple months until I decided to add them to my 2010 reading list. And being the nerd that I am, I was actually reading The Blogging Church when the new year began.

The Blogging Church gives a great overview of the what, why, and how of blogging. So much that if you are an experienced blogger and have decent computer skills, you'll be able to skim and possibly skip several chapters. If you've never blogged before and you want to begin, buy this book, even if you aren't blogging for church. The same principles will still apply.

I think when people start writing about technology it's easy to get wordy, but Brian kept a good pace going throughout the whole book, and to help break up the book, after every few chapters is a five question interview with a blogger and/or pastor, all of whom had a slightly different take on blogging.

The great part about this book is that it tells you what to do, but the best part about this book is that it tells you what not to do in "Build a Really Bad Blog." That was my favorite chapter of the entire book because I have done a lot of those things and probably will still commit a few offenses here and there.

I'm not an avid non-fiction reader, but I do enjoy a book I can learn and grow from, and that's what I got out of The Blogging Church. It made me excited about my job, the church's blog, and my church, as well as excited about my own blog.

Well begun is half done

According to my mom, Mary Poppins was my favorite movie as a kid. Looking back on things, it shows!

I didn't mind cleaning my room because "Snap! The job's a game." My sister and I would sip our cough syrup from the sides of our spoons, although the flavors were never strawberry or lime cordial. I love umbrellas, but I have never found one that will take me up into the air. Carousels used to freak me out and I never knew why, but it's probably because I thought the horses were going to jump off the ride and take off into the countryside. Probably my favorite part about the movie is how much Uncle Albert (Ed Wynn) reminds me of my grandpa. The resemblance in appearance and laugh is uncanny.

I watched Mary Poppins the other day while struggling to write a few articles for a newsletter, and something struck me in the movie: "Well begun is half done." I'm not sure if I got it from the movie or it's just my obsessive compulsive tendencies, but I cannot finish writing anything unless it is well begun. I have struggled with newspaper articles until I had the perfect lead, and the introduction to research papers had to be written before the rest of the pages could flow.

But this week I painfully tried to ignore that writing philosophy. I threw together some empty phrases to get me started and I tried to begin attacking the middle paragraphs. Let me just say that four days later, the article was still not written. This morning I deleted all of the nonsense I had previously written and set out to begin again. About twenty minutes later, I had my opening paragraph done, half of the article written, and the rest of the article in my head.

Mary had it right all along. I guess she really is practically perfect in every way!

The Rabbit Attack

There I was minding my own business at my parents' house when out of nowhere my sister's 8-foot-tall rabbit hurdled toward me and ripped my hand off at the wrist.

Well, maybe that's not how it happened.

Over the years, my family has had dogs, cats, fish, turtles, rats, frogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens, and ducks. I've been beaked by a chicken, bitten by dogs, clawed by cats, and had allergic reactions to rats (go figure!), but never in my life have I been so mistreated by any living creature than I was last night by my little sister's Champagne d'Argent rabbit, Antoinette.

Rabbits are supposedly cuddly little woodland creatures that avoid human contact because they are poor, defenseless animals. WRONG! I attempted to pick up this poor, defenseless animal when it began flailing its front paws in the air while digging its back feet into my flesh. My knee-jerk reaction was the drop the monster, and, luckily, for her sake, she landed on the couch. Needless to say, Antoinette and I will not be exchanging pleasantries any time soon. I spent the rest of the evening without feeling in two of my fingers and with excruciating pain from the impaled area on my wrist.


Everyone roots for Bugs Bunny, but I'm with Elmer Fudd. He's had it right all along.

Week 1: So Far, So Good

We are officially one week into the new year and I have already made some notable progress toward my goals.

The rewarding feeling of extreme stiffness in my legs is a result of working out every day this week, both at the gym and at home. After today, I'll only have to work out 95 more times this year to get that snazzy t-shirt I have my eyes on. According to the scale, the hard work is paying off. I am down 2.5 pounds this week. That may not sound like a lot (especially when you watch The Biggest Loser and they're dropping 15-30 pounds in the first week), but that's a pretty good number for me. I'd be ecstatic if I could lose that every week!

I am almost done with my first book of the year - The Blogging Church. I'm very excited about everything I'm learning and how I'm going to apply it to First Baptist Raytown's blog. I had to laugh because there was an entire chapter about building a bad blog, and I'm pretty sure they checked out our blog before writing it. The FBR Blog is fine for the first blog the church has had, but it is incredibly horrible in the grand scheme of the blogosphere. I'm hoping to change that. Check out the progress at fbrblog.wordpress.com.

Well, one week down. Fifty one to go. As long as my legs don't feel like this the whole time, I think it's going to be a very productive year.

I am resolved

I am resolved not to have New Year's resolutions this year; instead, I have decided to set goals for 2010. I have compiled a list of goals that include such stereotypical items as losing weight, reading more, and becoming debt-free. Why do I think you care? I don't think you care. In fact, I know you don't; however, I also know that if I write down my goals where someone else can see them, those goals are more likely to be reached. So what are these goals?

1. Blog at least twice a week. One down for this week!

2. Become debt-free. Thankfully I never had a huge amount hanging over my head, but I'm much more keen on the idea of no amount.

3. Save more and spend less. I've found that I spend a lot on really ridiculous things like tons of movies and books, which I have no time to watch or read.

4. Read at least 24 books. I love to read, but never make time to do it. The goal is to read at least 12 fiction books and 12 non-fiction books this year. (Seeing as how goal #3 has already been set, my reading list will be comprised of books I already own.)

5. Lose 30 pounds. I took off 20 pounds in six months last year, so I think I'm up to the challenge of 30 pounds in 12 months. (I say that now, but when the cookies start calling, I might be singing a different tune.)

6. Become a ROC Star. No, I don't mean a rockstar. I have no ambition of singing in front of anyone. If I work out 100 times in 2010 at the ROC Fitness Center, I'll be named a ROC Star and get a snazzy t-shirt ... and bragging rights of course!

I think that's enough to keep me busy for a year. I'll help fulfill goal #1 by blogging occasionally about my progress on goals #2-6, so hopefully, for your sake, my progress will be speedy and full of interest.

It's because I'm wearing tennis shoes

I'm having a great day today. I've had productive meetings, I've gotten some big tasks out of the way, and I'm just in a good mood, and I've decided it's because I'm wearing tennis shoes. I've noticed that what I wear and how my hair is "styled" (I use that term loosely) greatly affect the kind of day I have. Any day I wear jeans is a good day, but I've noticed that if I wear a t-shirt with jeans it has a much different feel than if I wear a dressy shirt with jeans. In the t-shirt I feel more relaxed and easy going, but in the dressy shirt, I feel more take charge. If I'm uncomfortable in my outfit, I'm uncomfortable all day. It really comes across in my work and my demeanor, but if I'm comfortable, I feel like I can do anything and I tend to get less stressed out. Today I'm wearing a pair of casual pants, a casual shirt with a vest over it, zero accessories and my most comfortable pair of tennis shoes, and I feel awesome. I certainly do not feel fashionable, but I'm happy and it's because I'm wearing tennis shoes.

My Sci-Fi Confession

I have a confession to make: I love Sci-Fi. If that makes me a nerd, then so be it. I blame it all on my parents and the people I went to college with. I eased into it when Ian got me into Heroes when it premiered the beginning of my senior year. (The only reason I considered watching it because Milo Ventimiglia from Gilmore Girls was one of the main characters.) That was innocent enough. It was just a TV show once a week about people with supernatural abilities. No big deal.

At about the same time, Michal, my roomate, began prodding me to read the first Harry Potter book. "It's so good. You'll love it," she said. "I highly doubt it," I responded with an eye roll. This continued for months. Her then fiance (now husband) also joined in on the book's promotion. He was the one who got Michal into it. I ignored them until we had an ice storm in Bolivar that January. There was nothing to do. No electricity meant no TV, no computer, no lights. The only places open in town were Walmart and Dollar General. Kellee (who got me into Chronicles of Narnia) and I hacked through the ice on my car to make it to Walmart just to get out of the confines of our tiny three-bedroom apartment. There it was. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was staring at me. It looked innocent enough to give me some entertainment through the bout of candlelight living. I bought it, and finished it that night. The next day, I ventured to Walmart again and bought the second book in the series. To make a short story of it, I read the first four Harry Potter books in five days. Books 5-6 took a few months between them, and then came the long wait for Book 7 to arrive. I devoured that in a matter of days. For those of you that disapprove of Harry Potter, it is possible to still love Jesus while enjoying Sci-Fi (ever heard of Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia?).

I haven't really thought much about enjoying Sci-Fi until last night when I finished the first book in the Twilight series. (I read it in five days, with the last 14 chapters being consumed yesterday.) I always thought the enjoyment was specific to the series or movie I was partaking in, but as I look back on things, I realize that I am an uber Sci-Fi-loving nerd. I grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, Stargate, The X-Files, The Twilight Zone, Quantum Leap, and Mork and Mindy with my parents. All I really have to do is look back to some of the movies I've seen this summer - Wolverine, Star Trek, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - and it's confirmed: I love Sci-Fi.

Now I must get ready to head to Walmart to pick up my copy of the next book in the Twilight series. Call me a nerd if you wish. I now accept it.

Ten Things Tuesday: 10 new church ministries

I was sifting through the church’s iStock photo library today looking for pictures that might represent different ministries in our church. With ministry photos in mind, I laughed when I saw a picture of a pineapple. I stated aloud, “I want to be involved in the pineapple ministry.” My co-worker’s daughter asked, “Is that where you just eat pineapple?” I gave her a long explanation of this imaginary ministry’s purpose. I then began to associate each picture with a new church ministry. I would have included the pictures, but I don’t think that would be ethical considering I didn’t purchase them. Here are ten of my favorites:

1. Hug your ethnically ambiguous friend ministry. We have an infinite number of pictures of groups of “friends” hugging and laughing. No two individuals are the same ethnicity, yet none of their features are strong enough to determine what their ethnicities actually are.

2. Run toward the camera ministry. I counted at least five pictures with children and adults running toward the camera with their arms stretched wide. Maybe it’s a photographer appreciation group. I don't know.

3. Pumpkin carving ministry. I think we should have a ministry that carves pumpkins for those who do not have the time or the dexterity to do so themselves. But these wouldn’t be your normal pumpkin carvings. I think it would only be appropriate if lengthy Bible verses were carved into the pumpkins. Not only do we minister to those receiving the pumpkins, but we also ponder a passage of scripture for hours at a time. Very beneficial!

4. Bubble blowing ministry. The kids look cute and have fun, but this ministry serves absolutely no purpose. It just keeps kids busy, and, unfortunately, I think this might actually be a real “ministry” churches fall back on too often.

5. Grass appreciation ministry. People apparently love grass. They roll around in it, sit and stare at it, run and leap in it, or just take pictures of it. These people love the grass that God made, and they aren’t ashamed to let you know it.

6. Cute kids ministry. This ministry is for cute kids only. Requirements: cheesy smile, huge eyes, freckles, and a funky haircut. No ugly kids allowed!

7. Bag of money ministry. I think a lot of churches could get into this ministry. It’s very simple. Bring a bag of money with you every time you come to church. The only requirements are that the bags have a large dollar sign on them and when you leave, the money must stay.

8. Chocoholics Ministry. Once again, like the bubble ministry, I think this might be a fallback ministry. “Hmm…we aren’t sure what we should do for the ladies. I know! Let’s serve chocolate.” There’s this picture of a lady shoving a 12”x6” chocolate bar in her mouth. We might be promoting gluttony with this one!

9. Run sideways support ministry. This might be one of my favorites. This would be a ministry for all of those people who just can’t seem to run in a forward direction. Unfortunately, I think you have to see the picture to appreciate the efforts of the “ministry.”

10. Pineapple Ministry. Just because it made me laugh out loud.

Accentuate the Positive

Humans talk to each other all day every day, that is unless you are a hermit. I have found that many times what is said goes in one ear and right out the other, but I have also found that some things stick no matter how faulty your memory is. These are the hurtful things, whether we say them or they are said to us. I remember being called a liar just a few years ago by the head football coach at SBU (when indeed he was the one telling an untruth). I remember telling my mom I hated her when I was 12 or 13 (needless to say, I didn't really mean it). I remember riding the school bus in 4th grade and being asked if I shopped at the Gap since the space between my front teeth was so large (thank you, dad, for braces!). I can even remember back to the first day of kindergarten when an older kid made fun of my dress that my mom made for me (thankfully my sister, who was 6, threatened to beat the kid up. ha!). Why do negative moments stand out in our minds? It's because we feel sorry for ourselves and dwell on what was said.

It's time to snap out of it!

I can think of three positive things that were said to me in the few hours I've been at work today. Will I remember them tomorrow? A few months ago, I probably would not, but now I think I will. I've decided it's important to accentuate the positive. Someone gave me a compliment 3 weeks ago, and I didn't even say thank you, but it meant a lot to me and I'll remember it for a long time. I got applauded in a meeting yesterday. Will I remember that? Heck yes! It was totally uncomfortable, but it felt great to be recognized. Sure, negative things happened in the last few weeks, but I don't remember what they were, and I really don't care.

Keep being a grumpy gus if you want, but I choose to accentuate the positive.

Disclaimer: It would help me out tremendously if you only said nice things to me. Thank you for complying.

Ten Things Tuesday: 10 reality shows that make me smile

In honor of tonight's Biggest Loser premier and Big Brother finale, I thought it was appropriate to list the ten reality shows that make me smile. They aren't necessarily my favorite, but they caught my attention.

1. My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé. This show actually aired about 5 or 6 years ago, but I still think it's funny. A woman pretended to be engaged to an overweight, obnoxious man, who was actually an actor being paid to be as obnoxious and disgusting as possible. If they fooled her family into believing that they were really engaged, the woman would win $1,000,000. The "relationship" was so believable that the woman's father and brother were in tears urging her not to marry him. I felt bad for them, but in the end, all of the awkwardness and disgust was worth it. She and her family walked away with $1,000,000. And best of all, she had no idea her "fiancé" was an actor until the end. She just thought he was always that disgusting and obnoxious! So funny.

2. Dancing With the Stars. While it's mildly entertaining to watch "celebrities" learn to dance, I think it's even more entertaining to watch judge Bruno Tonioli react to the dances he really likes. He practically lunges at the dancers pointing his finger at the dance floor almost screaming his accolades in a thick Italian accent. Also fun to watch is Kenny Mayne's "Dance Center." It really doesn't stop being funny the fact that a sports anchor is wearing eyeshadow and a sparkly shirt.

3. The Amazing Race. This is just an exciting show. Sometimes funny things happen, like when the contestants had to carry huge wheels of cheese down a hill and they kept rolling everywhere. One contestant kept screaming, "where's the cheese?" But most of the time, it's just intense competition, whether it's catching a flight, flagging down a cab, or looking for coffins in Transylvania. It's just a good game.

4. Here Come the Newlyweds. This show was a little raunchy, but I laughed hysterically when the women were blindfolded and told to identify their husband's butt. Some of them were a little hesitant, while others gave the task a 100% effort.

5. So You Think You Can Dance. I can't dance, so I like to watch others dance. I pick favorites and ultimately get crushed in the end. Maybe it would help if I actually voted for my favorites.

6. Dating in the Dark. It's so pathetic that these people all walk away "finding the one they are meant to be with." They only had a few days to get to know each other, and they think it's true love because they got to know each other in a pitch black room. They are not required to pick their "match" based on personality alone, though. They make their decision only after seeing the other person's appearance. It all comes back to appearances.

7. The Bachelorette. I usually don't watch The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, but for some reason this season I was hooked. I screamed at Jillian when she kept picking Wes, and I cheered for her every time she picked Ed. Needless to say, I was pleased with the outcome.

8. There Goes the Neighborhood. This reality game show has a very real element to it. On most shows, the contestants are strangers who have never met and who will never have to meet again, but on There Goes the Neighborhood, the contestants actually live next door to each other. The families have known each other anywhere from 6 months to 10 years. The game played out like any other reality game show. Feelings were hurt and alliances were made. It got ugly! These people either need to heal or start house hunting.

9. Big Brother. I didn't watch seasons 1-10 of Big Brother, but for some reason this season it caught my attention. I am hooked. The drama, the lies, the scheming, the personalities, the friendships, the grudges ... it kind of wears me out, but I'm loving it! Tonight it all ends, and a winner is announced!

10. Biggest Loser. My absolute favorite! I can't get enough of this show. I love to watch these people change their lives - physically and mentally. I love to see the transformations, but also the hard work that gets them there. And it all starts tonight!

Enough blogging, I'm gonna go home and get ready to watch some reality TV!

Ten Things Tuesday: 10 things I can't do/don't like to do on my iPhone

Technically, this is not Tuesday, but it is the second day of my work week, so I think it'll be okay if I post my Ten Things Tuesday on Wednesday this week. I promise not to make a habit of it. I was going to post this last night at home, but since I do not have internet at home, I tried to do it on my iPhone. Didn't work. So, here are the 10 things I can't do / don't like to do on my iPhone.

1. Blog. Blogspot wouldn't let me. I was so determined to blog yesterday that I was willing to develop arthritis in my thumbs from typing on a tiny keyboard. Maybe I should've gone with Wordpress. They have an app for that. (Hint, hint, Blogger!)
2. View Flash. I just can't. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. It's kind of inconvenient.
3. Follow a recipe. This is something I can do, but it can get quite messy. Since the screen doesn't stay on for very long, I have to use my food hands to view it again. I should probably just write the recipe on paper, but that's just not as cool as using my iPhone.
4. Watch videos. Watching any video longer than 10 minutes makes me paranoid that I am going to be cross-eyed for the rest of my life. It hasn't happened yet, but it could happen.
5. Respond to email. A simple "yes," "no," or "ok" is fine, but anything longer than that leaves too much room for error. Odd word replacement with spell check has been known to happen.
6. Record video. That's because I have the "old" version. How is it that my phone is already outdated and I only bought it in 6 months ago?
7. Have remote control. Yes, I can control iTunes on my computer from my phone, but I want to control people - specifically with a mute button.
8. Listen to music in the car. The automatic shuffle when you shake the phone is kind of obnoxious, especially if the road is bumpy. The puppet mission trip was a nightmare. I only listened to about 15 seconds of five songs before I switched back over to my iPod.
9. Talk/Text. These are kind of fundamental uses for a phone. I can't use my phone for talking or texting when in my office, which is in the depths of the building. It kind of defeats the purpose of carrying my phone to work. I do get my work out though. When I hear it ring, I answer and sprint upstairs saying "just a minute" and "hang on" over and over again.
10. Old school Google. I don't like to type things into Google. It takes far too much time and energy. Instead I use the voice search Google app. Yes, that's right. Information is no longer just accessible with the touch of a button, but also by voice command. Laziness at its best!

Ten Things Tuesday: 10 things you should never forget

I almost forgot to write my Ten Things Tuesday list, so I find it fitting to write a list of things you should never forget. Never forget to:

1. Smile. People might look forward to your smile every day. Plus you always look better when you smile than when you frown.
2. Tell others you appreciate them. You might feel really silly saying it, but it makes the other person feel awesome!
3. Be thankful for your job. Even if you don't enjoy your job at the moment, be thankful you have one. There are a lot of people right now that would do anything to be in your place.
4. Take the blame. If you messed up, own up to it. It makes you look better in everyone's eyes even though you feel worse.
5. Take the credit. If you did an awesome job, take the credit. You deserve it.
6. Give 100%. If you don't, someone else will have to pick up the slack. That won't make them very pleasant to be around.
7. Take risks. There's a 50% chance you will fail, but at least you tried it and know it won't work for next time. But there's also a 50% chance you will succeed. In that case, see #5.
8. Brush your teeth & put on deodorant. This is always a winning combination and a good way to start your day. You won't feel disgusting and I won't ... I mean, no one will think you are disgusting.
9. Laugh out loud. Whether you are in your living room alone or in a crowded movie theater, it's always a good thing to let out a good belly laugh every now and then. It makes you feel good the rest of the day.
10. Sleep. I can't say enough good things about sleep. As someone who couldn't sleep for about 12 years, I appreciate sleep and make use of my ability to do so every night. Plus you get a front row seat to whatever crazy dreams your brain concocts at night.

I'm sure there are a million other things that should be on this list, but these are things that I've been thinking about this week because I've either forgotten to do them or someone else has (see #8).

Ten Things Tuesday: 10 things that made me smile

Yesterday I heard about a woman who at the end of every day lists ten good things that happened during that day. That made me start to wonder what would be on my list. Of course, then I started thinking about other lists (I love lists!). So I have decided to do Ten Things Tuesdays. To begin, here are ten things that have made me smile today:

1. Chick-fil-a. I live 9 minutes from Chick-fil-a, but it's 9 minutes in the direction I never drive, so yesterday I made the drive so I could enjoy the yumminess that is Chick-fil-a. This was yesterday, but I'm still smiling.
2. Cello case weight loss. I received a wonderful hard case and new cello for Christmas in 1997. After carrying the 25 pound load on my right shoulder for 12 years, I am now the proud owner of a soft case with backpack straps. It only weighs about 15 pounds and I can distribute the weight between two shoulders now.
3. Alphabetical Bible. One of my tasks each week is to proofread the scripture for Sunday morning. I was hunting for the book of Job and for a split second I tried finding it by alphabetical order. Just so you know, you will not find Job directly after Jeremiah.
4. Mannequins. I had the privilege of carrying a male mannequin torso through the church today. It's always fun to see the reactions.
5. Haikuesday. I thoroughly enjoy reading @jimmyfaseler and @ianspaterson Twitter Haikus.
6. Fruit Burritos. I love it when someone's comment on my status echoes what I was thinking as I typed it. Plus, I just love Melinda.
7. Sam's vitamins. Sam is an 81-year-old church volunteer with less-than-stellar hearing who takes about 12 pills a day. Someone asked if any of his pills were vitamins. His answer? Wednesday. I'm still laughing about that.
8. Freelance. I just finished up some freelance work and got my check today just in time to pay bills and buy groceries. That's definitely worth a smile.
9. Printing day. I worked for hours gathering, writing, and editing copy for our first monthly newsletter. Then I spent more time editing and re-editing. And, finally, it's printing day. That means it's out of my hands. That's a good feeling.
10. Sweeney Todd. As you walk through my church, you'll hear instrumental worship or one of about a thousand versions of Shout to the Lord, but when you step into the printshop, you are immediately greeted with the sounds of Sweeney Todd and a roaring printing press. That might explain a few things :)