Minglin' Update

Well...they did it.  I thought that maybe if I gave them permission my parents wouldn't actually give legs to the "christianmingle.com" obsession.  I was wrong.

Shortly after posting about the whole thing here, my mom had signed me up, answered all of the basic questions for my profile and even posted a picture.  At her request, I acquiesced and answered the essay questions on the site as well.  After all, she is my mother and she's only trying to help...albeit the help is a little misguided.

And then the emails started.

I'll admit it.  When my inbox started to fill up I got a little teensy bit excited.  Hopeful, even.  However, I'm more about quality than quantity here.  And based on the quality of feedback my profile has been getting, I'm wishing I had included some extra "guidelines" for these gentlemen suiters.

Kinda like these...

Please review the following guidelines before replying to my profile.  If any of the statements below describe you, please know in advance that I will NOT email you back.


   1.  If you are shorter than me
   2.  If you are skinnier than me
   3.  If I can beat you up
   4.  If you you are closer in age to my parents than to me
   5.  If your pickup line is seriously "How YOU doin?"         


Looks like it's back to the drawing board....

9/11 and Football

First.....

I can't believe 10 years have passed since 9/11.  I was a sophomore in college at the University of South Carolina at the time.  I remember that I was at the music building on campus getting ready to go into my aural training class (which I hated).  I had absolutely no concept of what had happened (why would I have?) and initially just wanted to use it as an excuse to get out of class (I'm embarrassed to even say it).  But by the time I made it back to the student union and then back to my apartment, it was evident that it was more than just a ticket out of class.

This was tragedy.

I have grown to more fully appreciate the horror and the heroics of that day as the years have passed.  I pray that the Lord would continue to make something beautiful out of this tragedy.

Now for football....

Today was the season/home opener for my beloved Kansas City Chiefs!  My dad and my sister were unable to go to the game so my mom and I brought our cousins Donna and Andrea.  We were excited for a fun girl's day!

Andrea is the PE teacher at my school and we have grown to be great friends!

The Chiefs told everyone to be at the game early for the pre-game show honoring and remembering the victims and heros of 9/11.  It was beautiful.

This flag covered the entire field.

Robert De Niro led the moment of silence.

David Cook sang the national anthem.  Beautiful.

We get a fly over from the Whiteman Airforce Base a couple of times a year.  We all knew to expect it today, and they didn't disappoint.  It always amazes me how you do not hear these planes until they have already passed you!  There was also a surprise flyover at halftime from some fighter pilots out of Ft. Worth, TX.  The crowd LOVES LOVES LOVES when we have a fly over!

And then the game started and all of the fun we were  having stopped.  We fumbled on the FIRST stinkin' drive.  Geez Louise.  It was long and hot.  We left at the end of the 3rd quarter because we were down 41 to 7.  UGH.  And this is what I left with....

a serious sunburn.  But I've already lathered up with the A&D so hopefully no peeling!!  

It was a lot hotter than I expected it to be today.  Here's what I looked like when I left the house.

After sweating profusely (and being forced to get a sun visor at the Chiefs store in the stadium), here's what I looked like when I got home...

Hot and sweaty!  Some how amidst all the frustration of the game, I still love those boys.

And I absolutely love my country.  God bless the USA.

Accent Vlog

Here is my first video blog attempt!!  Don't judge me too harshly!  (I don't know why the top of my head is chopped off....it didn't do that until I exported it out of imovie.  Weird.)

Soo....what do you think?  Accent or no accent?

Favorite Blogs

I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner again today for Show Us Your Life - Favorite Blogs.  I'm don't follow a ton of blogs, but these are my favs.

Amy is a phenomenal writer.  Love her honesty and sense of humor!

Courtney is my best friend.  We're pretend sisters.  An incredible writer and an incredible woman of God.  Between Courtney and Amy, my writing skills (or really, lack thereof) are completely put to shame. 

Apparently I just like your blog if your name is Amy.  I love reading Amy....she's become a great blog friend!!  

Happy blog reading!

Wassup!

My dad sometimes reminds me of the kindergartener who gets stuck on something and obsesses over it and can't figure out how to move on.

For example, do you remember the Budweiser "Wassup!" commercials?  Maybe this will jog your memory.

Yeah...that's how my dad answered the telephone for a solid year whenever my sister or I called the house.

And when we were little -- who am I kidding....he still does this -- whenever he would want us to try something he was eating, he put it on his fork and stuck it in our face and said "Try it.  Try it.  Just try it.  You'll like it if you try it.  Try it.  Try it.  Try it.  Try it." until we either gave in and ate it or threw the fork across the kitchen.

So I shouldn't be terribly surprised that he's once again stuck.  This time, though, it's a little bit more personal for me.  It's bleeding into MYOB (Mind Your Own Business) territory.  Lately any time I mention going on a date or being married some day or having babies, my father replies with one-ish word.

"ChristianMingle.com."

Me:  "Man, I'd love to be a stay-at-home-mom right now."

Dad:  "ChristianMingle.com."

Me:  "I bought this really cute skirt.  It'd make a good date night outfit."

Dad:  "ChristianMingle.com."

Me:  "I need to find someone to go to the football game with me."

Dad:  "ChristianMingle.com."

UGH!  I have ignored this statement for the last couple of months....until my mom picked up on it, too. I know it's bad when my mom has started in on it.

"You know what your dad would say."   Yes, mom.  ChristianMingle.com.

I'll be honest.  I've done Match.  I've done eharmony.  I hated them both and I'm still single.  I gave up the website stuff a while back and genuinely have no interest in picking it back up again.   At least until my mom jokingly suggested she and my dad do my profile online.  This is a potentially (and strangely) entertaining idea.  So, I think I'm going to wave the white flag and give in.....and hopefully get a few laughs out of the whole bit.

But in the process I thought I'd set a few other relationship goals that seem equally as ridiculous ChristianMingle.com.

Goal #1:  As previously stated, check out ChristianMingle.com by way of my parents doing all of the leg work.  I'm just gonna go with it and see what happens.  Stay tuned.

Goal #2:  Get a date with Brandon Heath.  I mean, why not?  I'm semi-in love with him.....or with the idea of him singing to me.  Not sure which.  He's coming to town in October, so it could happen!

Goal #3:  Let Tyler Palko take me out to dinner.  I have always wanted to marry a football player.  And Tyler Palko is just about as good as any.  I don't know anything about him except he's the second string QB on the Chiefs and he is pretty!  

This is from 2010 training camp. Yes, please!

Who needs realistic goals?  These are much more entertaining.

Chameleon Christian

I am blessed to have a church where I learn something new about God and His Word every week.  While some people only learn these things in independent Bible study, I learn them every week simply by going to church.  I've not always been blessed in this way!

Our pastor is preaching on Daniel and his courageous, unchanging faith.  Today he compared Daniel's unwavering stance for what is right with a "Chameleon Christian."  Chameleon Christians change their colors depending on the situation.  Kind of like this...

Pastor Phil said today that "Your character is revealed when you are tempted to do wrong, but you choose to do right."  I have to admit.....The Lord convicted me today because I have been acting like a Chameleon Christian the last couple of weeks.  I have followed the path of temptation.

The last two weeks have been hard for me.

I've faced my own Daniel's Den.

I've had no joy.

I've struggled and suffered under some frustrating burdens.

Because of those struggles, my colors changed from those of Christ to those of a complainer and a gossiper.  Those words are hard to type.  But the honest truth is that those words describe who I am when I am NOT IN CHRIST!
                                   
So today I choose to change my response to the struggles of the past two weeks.  I choose to stay in Christ because He is in me.  I choose to be a modern day Daniel -- never compromising my godly character....even when the going gets tough.

China Survival Guide

When you go where the Lord leads, you're in for one wild ride!!  I've spent the last three weeks serving Him in China, and He was so faithful!!  I have lots to share, but first......here's my very own China survival guide!

1.  Always carry toilet paper.  If you don't have your own TP, you'll be dripping dry (or worse!).  There's rarely rarely ever TP in the bathrooms.

2.  Buy a Go Girl.  It was the best $9.95 I have spent in my entire life.  China has these "lovely" devices we call squatty potties.  

Ugh.  

You either squat to potty or you use the oh-so-wonderful Go Girl.  This handy dandy device allows us girlies to potty in the squatty without having to squat!  

Best. Invention. Ever.

3.  Handicapped Stalls.  If you failed to purchase a Go Girl before leaving for China, handicapped stalls are a must.  If there's a handicapped stall, it's probably a western toilet!  (That's the best kept China potty secret.)

4.  Practice with chopsticks. We went out to dinner my first night in China.  They had tons of food for us (including rice, of course).  I was staaarrrrving so when I sat down I was ready to dig in.  And then they handed me a pair of chopsticks.  Uh oh.  Needless to say, I was still hungry when dinner was over.  Before you come to China, practice eating with chopsticks before you come!

This was breakfast.

5.  Prepare for paparazzi.  At least if you're not in a main hub city.  In the northwestern part of the country, Westerners are quite the spectacle.  If you're opposed to having your picture taken with complete strangers, people bringing you their babies to talk to or lots of fingers pointing at you, don't go to China.  Especially if you have blond hair and blue eyes.  Whew!

6.  Watch the road!  You know the rule in America that says pedestrians have the right of way?  Yeah.  That doesn't apply in China.  And the drivers are crazy!

This is the calmest I ever saw China traffic.  No one was trying to cut us off!

The last and most important tip...

7.  Get on your knees and stay there.  The power of prayer and serving the Almighty God was not only how we survived but how we were able to thrive.  We prayed for anointing and favor.....and that's exactly what the Lord delivered.