a happy little sound

My microwave has the friendliest little bell. I say bell and not beep because it is a really cheap microwave with a turn timer. I just heated up a cup of coffee to drink with a really yummy cookie. When it was finished, the microwave just sang out: "DING! Come and get it! Warm, Yummy, Goodness for you to Drink." What a happy little sound!

marathon update: delusions of grandeur

It is finally here. The weekend I have been anticipating for 17 weeks! The Virginia Beach Rock n Roll Half Marathon. I confess, I am a little bummed, because the farthest I have run so far is 6 miles. However, it is farther than I was running when I started, and definitely farther than I have ever run in my entire life. Perhaps I had delusions of grandeur. I think I fully understand that phrase now.

Actually, this seems to happen a lot. I say, "I can do it." Sort of like Trish thinking she could snowboard when she have never even skied or done any other winter sport. After falling off the ski lift, not being able to even stand up, and then walking back to the lodge almost in tears, I discovered that I could not, in fact, "just figure it out."

Hmmmmmmmm......oh well. Maybe it was good to set my goal so high. At least I will be able to run half way. Final results to follow on Monday morning! Tally Ho!

longing...

Psalm 38:9
All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.

Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:19
A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul

2 Corinthians 5:2
Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling.

Psalm 37:4-7
4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;


C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probably explanation is that I was made for another world.

sad corn

I think corn is one of the most beautiful plants. There is an intersection near my mom's house, way out in the country, where I love to watch the sun go down behind the corn. It seems so tall and unassuming; Humble and yet majestic at the same time. Today I went by and they had mowed it down. I was sad to see it go.....it was so beautiful....but the truth is, sometimes things have to die to serve their purpose.

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. John 12:24

a morning jog

I went jogging this morning. My path took me to a Greenway that runs near my house. It is a windy trail that took me through a green, foresty area. Nothing special happened, until I came across a family of deer on their early morning stroll. I stopped and stood there in awe. They were beautiful!

Everything else on the trail seemed to take on a new look and sound and personality: I met a granddaddy long legs who, I can only presume, was on his way to buy some new walking shoes, a squirrel eating her morning breakfast, a turtle who I am certain when he gets to his destination will discover that he has, indeed, beaten the hare, and a chorus of crickets practicing for one of their last evening summer concerts. Maybe the butterfly I met will finally find that perfect flower.

the end of a chapter

I started this in August, but for some reason didn't post it.

I have had the feeling these past few days that a chapter has just ended. On Sunday afternoon, I went to a cookout to say goodbye to Scott and Patti Jenkins. As I was on the swing under the big oak at EH and Cindy Cooks house, I looked around at everyone who was there. I thought to myself, we may never be together like this again. Tonight, I had the same feeling as I sat around three tables with some of my old uturn buddies at OCharleys. The group was slightly varied from Sunday, but I had the same thought. We may never be all together like this again.

It was all of us who grew up in youth group together, beginning back when youth was called Power House and later Uturn. We were all there when a single Scott Jenkins came at 23 years old to be our youth pastor. We were a small group. Our favorite Wednesday after youth group hang out was either Carolina Cones or Wendy's and Chilis in the summer. We all went to Camp Courtney together. sigh....memories...

Everyone is headed in different directions. A season has ended. A new one has started.

the answer to the impossible question

You know those questions that are so hard to answer? Those ones that you think you should know the answer to, but you just can't seem to come up with one.

"What is your favorite food? "

Ahhhhh! There it is! The unanswerable question. What do you mean? Am I supposed to pick out of all the millions of different kinds of foods just ONE that I love best? Favorite is a pretty strong word. Sort of like calling someone your BEST friend or saying I LOVE cats. The word favorite connotes some kind of faithfulness to the word it is applied to.

I would like to announce that today I have found that food that merits all of the above words. BEST. LOVE. FAVORITE. My favorite food is the SANDWICH!

mmmm! The one I am eating right now: Toasted rosemary bread, provalone cheese, real chicken, lettuce, and mayo! yum! That's what I'm talkin' about!

Other notable sandwiches
1. BLT from Quiznos
2. Chicken Salad Sandwich on 9 grain bread at Atlanta Bread company
3. Chicken Salad Wrap from Arby's
4. Tuna, provalone, and lettuce on toasted wheat bread from Subways (don't wrinkle your nose...you know tuna is super-yum!)

Check out this article at wikipedia on sandwiches wiki

bang, crash, kazam

I went to Lowe's Motor Speedway last night! Not only did I meet "Lugnut", but I got to see lots of little, teeny, but really loud, cars go round and round and round and round and....There were a few crashes, one tire flying through the air, a girl driver with a sweet car with PINK numbers, some little 12 year olds with more driving guts than I have, and lots of old guys with beer bellies.
It was fun though =) It brought back of memories of "back in the day" when my mom was into racing. She would successfully commandeer the television almost every Sunday, to the protests of my sister and I, and later we would all find ourselves taking an involuntary Sunday nap to the sound of something like buzzing bees flying in circles. Then we would wake up in time to see the checkered flag - hopefully with Awesome Bill from Dawsonville in the front of the pack.

Some other fun NASCAR memories:
** Funnel cakes
** My super cool NASCAR t-shirt that I wore forever or atleast until I was old enough to realize its uncoolness
** Getting sunscreen in my eyes
** Falling asleep actually AT the Coca-Cola 600
** My mommy =)

zoom zoom zoom...

Wierd Cat Lady!

No! I am not talking about myself. Ok, so I have this neighbor. I drive down the road and she is watching her cat taking a potty break.....I get closer and the cat is on a LEASH....ummmm....who does that?