sometimes, I get a little overwhelmed. lately, it's been more of a common occurrence.
how will I ever get xyz done?
I need to do this more.
I need to call so and so.
I need to clean. organize. straighten.
when is that due? (insert hyperventilation here)
how will I ever afford that?
a few nights ago these thoughts bombarded me. overtook me. left me almost breathless.
then, while half-heartedly reading in psalms, it jumped out at me. almost as if it was bolded and italicized on the page (it wasn't, in case you were wondering): "be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him"
be still.
but...but...but...how will everything get done???!
be still.
but...but...did you see my to-do list?
be still.
but...but...
when was the last time I gave you more than you could handle? be still.
ook. fine. God always has a trump card.
oh, and p.s. -
I am grateful for:
*beautiful fall weather and breathtaking sunsets
*laughing really hard with good friends I haven't seen in awhile
*frozen.yogurt. (this might be a recurring theme)
*my roommate being born (today was her birthday - and she left me note saying I could eat some of her cake - most.awesome.roommate.ever.)
*free museum day. seriously - coolest thing. today was marked by trips to the space and rocket center and sci-quest. loved.it. yes, yes I'm a nerd, but how often do you get to walk through a mobile quarantine facility, create your own river and pretend you're a weather lady? pretty.stellar.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
before-40 list
I want to make a list of things I really want to do. as part of a good story. as part of a full life. as part of me embracing who I am, what I love, and making the most of my time here. sooo here are some things I want to do before I'm "tied down". and if I never become "tied down", I guess I'll just keep adding :)
*become an R.D.
*climb a mountain (a real mountain...like a big one, not just "hiking" in the "mountains")
*run a half marathon
*make better use of my passport (particularly to travel to Switzerland, Greece, South Africa...)
*go to a drive-in movie
*go a missions trip - preferably extended, preferably where I'd be able to help nutritionally
*find a mentor
*be a mentor
*read through the entire Bible
*maybe MAYBE get a tat (a small one...that could be hidden if need be)
*visit all friends who live in/move to various states
*learn more about, and put into practice at some point for a purpose, the art of fasting
*pull a real all-nighter that ends with breakfast at IHOP or Waffle House
*take a cooking class
....to be continued. for sure. don't think it ends here.
grateful list for today:
I am grateful for....
*the complexities of my heart (about which I am learning) and that all these complexities are working
*the kind man who returned my wallet
*my social security card (see above)
*sweatpants and sitting on my couch after a long day
*dove chocolate
it's almost friday...hallelujah.
*become an R.D.
*climb a mountain (a real mountain...like a big one, not just "hiking" in the "mountains")
*run a half marathon
*make better use of my passport (particularly to travel to Switzerland, Greece, South Africa...)
*go to a drive-in movie
*go a missions trip - preferably extended, preferably where I'd be able to help nutritionally
*find a mentor
*be a mentor
*read through the entire Bible
*maybe MAYBE get a tat (a small one...that could be hidden if need be)
*visit all friends who live in/move to various states
*learn more about, and put into practice at some point for a purpose, the art of fasting
*pull a real all-nighter that ends with breakfast at IHOP or Waffle House
*take a cooking class
....to be continued. for sure. don't think it ends here.
grateful list for today:
I am grateful for....
*the complexities of my heart (about which I am learning) and that all these complexities are working
*the kind man who returned my wallet
*my social security card (see above)
*sweatpants and sitting on my couch after a long day
*dove chocolate
it's almost friday...hallelujah.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
grateful
in 8th grade home-ec we had these lovely things called "grateful books". our teacher would hand them out at the beginning of class, and we had to write five things for which we were grateful on that particular day. I don't remember what all I put in there, but I remember really racking my brain to come up with my quota on some days.
there are many reasons I think home-ec should be offered in college rather than 8th grade. if I remember correctly, I could make a mean omelet at age 12, but that skill has since faded with a negative correlation to its usefulness. did I need to make an omelet for myself in 8th grade? no. college? well, it couldn't have hurt.
along with cooking and the ability to sew a stuffed squirrel (yes, I chose to make a squirrel and moose as my stuffed animal creations in 8th grade...rocky and bullwinkle, anyone? no wonder I wasn't ever cool in jr. high), the ability to be grateful seems to have slipped through the cracks of my memory, too. what if I took the time to look for the things I take for granted every day? what if I thanked God for getting me to work every morning instead of grumbling over long traffic lights? what if I was looking for little, joyous moments instead of skimming over them because I'm so focused on the negative? I'm going to try this. maybe it could radically change my attitude, alter my state of mind. even if it doesn't, though, I'm going to be grateful.
here are some thank you notes for the last day or so...
1 - dear lab partners, thank you for being brave, awesome morticians who are not afraid to handle a cow heart. and thank you for not getting grumpy with me when I wasn't as enthusiastic. and thank you for not getting cow blood on me.
2 - dear police officer, thank you for not pulling me over when I whizzed by you going...well...over the speed limit. speeding always seems like a good idea until I see a cop and am reminded that a ticket will not only cause a delay, but deplete my bank account as well. so once again, thank YOU.
3 - dear evening runs, thank you for being therapeutic. thank you for allowing me to clear my head and find joy in the little things, like saying hi to little old ladies having conversations in the middle of the sidewalk or watching a family play softball in their yard.
3.5 - dear beautiful weather, thank you just for being and for making number 3 possible.
4 - dear community nutrition professor, thank you for making class fun and reminding me of why I want to be a dietitian. thank you for letting us pretend counsel you and for not being an easy client. I like a challenge. and I also secretly like it when you tell us you don't want to make any lifestyle changes, that you're just "big boned-ed" and that your "baby daddy" is lucky cause he isn't. one day I hope I can counsel a real patient like this and talk her into drinking only one "big gulp" a day.
5 - dear mom, thank you for letting me talk your ear off about everything I've done the past two weeks. sometimes a girl just needs to chat with her momma. thanks for telling me about yourself at my age, too. I love hearing your insights and remembering that you were once in your 20s, going to school, stressed out, and trying to get by - just like me. also, thank you for answering the phone at 10 pm your time when I forget about the time change.
6 - dear co-worker, thank you for seeing potential in me. thank you for encouraging me to do more with my life than I sometimes think I can, and thank you for challenging me to not just stay content with where I am. thank you for letting me know that you think I can do more.
well, ok, so that was kind of seven, but who's to say there needs to be a limit on what you're grateful for? I'm grateful that I have so much to be grateful for. cheesey? maybe. true? you bet your bottom dollar.
there are many reasons I think home-ec should be offered in college rather than 8th grade. if I remember correctly, I could make a mean omelet at age 12, but that skill has since faded with a negative correlation to its usefulness. did I need to make an omelet for myself in 8th grade? no. college? well, it couldn't have hurt.
along with cooking and the ability to sew a stuffed squirrel (yes, I chose to make a squirrel and moose as my stuffed animal creations in 8th grade...rocky and bullwinkle, anyone? no wonder I wasn't ever cool in jr. high), the ability to be grateful seems to have slipped through the cracks of my memory, too. what if I took the time to look for the things I take for granted every day? what if I thanked God for getting me to work every morning instead of grumbling over long traffic lights? what if I was looking for little, joyous moments instead of skimming over them because I'm so focused on the negative? I'm going to try this. maybe it could radically change my attitude, alter my state of mind. even if it doesn't, though, I'm going to be grateful.
here are some thank you notes for the last day or so...
1 - dear lab partners, thank you for being brave, awesome morticians who are not afraid to handle a cow heart. and thank you for not getting grumpy with me when I wasn't as enthusiastic. and thank you for not getting cow blood on me.
2 - dear police officer, thank you for not pulling me over when I whizzed by you going...well...over the speed limit. speeding always seems like a good idea until I see a cop and am reminded that a ticket will not only cause a delay, but deplete my bank account as well. so once again, thank YOU.
3 - dear evening runs, thank you for being therapeutic. thank you for allowing me to clear my head and find joy in the little things, like saying hi to little old ladies having conversations in the middle of the sidewalk or watching a family play softball in their yard.
3.5 - dear beautiful weather, thank you just for being and for making number 3 possible.
4 - dear community nutrition professor, thank you for making class fun and reminding me of why I want to be a dietitian. thank you for letting us pretend counsel you and for not being an easy client. I like a challenge. and I also secretly like it when you tell us you don't want to make any lifestyle changes, that you're just "big boned-ed" and that your "baby daddy" is lucky cause he isn't. one day I hope I can counsel a real patient like this and talk her into drinking only one "big gulp" a day.
5 - dear mom, thank you for letting me talk your ear off about everything I've done the past two weeks. sometimes a girl just needs to chat with her momma. thanks for telling me about yourself at my age, too. I love hearing your insights and remembering that you were once in your 20s, going to school, stressed out, and trying to get by - just like me. also, thank you for answering the phone at 10 pm your time when I forget about the time change.
6 - dear co-worker, thank you for seeing potential in me. thank you for encouraging me to do more with my life than I sometimes think I can, and thank you for challenging me to not just stay content with where I am. thank you for letting me know that you think I can do more.
well, ok, so that was kind of seven, but who's to say there needs to be a limit on what you're grateful for? I'm grateful that I have so much to be grateful for. cheesey? maybe. true? you bet your bottom dollar.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
north and south
I'm starting my third (THIRD?!) year here in what one of my friends calls "the dirty south". it also was recently my half birthday, so in honor of these momentous occassions (har har), here is a list of 24.5 new, southern-specific experiences/lessons learned since moving below the mason-dixon line...
I have...
1. discovered what a Zaxby's is...(and no, it is NOT a fancy sit-down restaurant, which can be confusing...)
2. eaten at, and fallen in love with, Zaxby's, their seasoned fries, and their delicious Zax sauce
3. pushed a "buggy" around the grocery store
4. learned about Milo's sweet tea and its deliciousness
5. learned that drinking your calories might not be the best idea in the land of everything fried, so swore off Milo's sweet tea (along with McAllister's sweet tea...I'd rather eat my calories in the form of their gigantic spuds)
6. been called a "yankee" on more than one occasion
7. been laughed at for calling beverages of the caffeinated genre "pop", and have since slipped up and said "coke"
8. learned that "boil" and "bowl" can sound an awful lot alike
9. tried, and was not impressed with, fried green tomatoes
10. have successfully avoided grits
11. added to my dress collection, as southern women wear dresses EVERYWHERE. up north, I wore dresses to weddings and on an occasional sunday if I had the ambition to shave. here, dresses are worn february - november for (but not limited to) the following occasions: church, work, trips to the grocery store, baseball games, football games, dinner (whether it's one's own kitchen, mcdonalds or connor's steakhouse), camping, going to the movies, and any other event that causes a lady to leave her house during these summer months (dresses can be worn december & january, but typically are accompanied by leggings). there is no such thing as being overdressed.
12. said "y'all" and made it a staple of my vocabulary
13. learned how to spell "y'all" (not to be confused with "yawl" or "ya'll")
14. learned how to correctly use the phrase "bless his/her heart"
15. seen schools close at the prediction of "up to an inch" of snow
16. seen groceries stores completely sell out of bread and milk due to "impending snow storms"
17. been let off work early due to tornado warnings and snow predictions
18. learned the tornado sirens go off at least three times a week in April
19. killed bugs the size of my face
20. had a black widow hang out in my apt. (it has since been killed, or I would not be hanging out in my apt.)
21. witnessed a large snake crossing my hiking path (and heard the expletives of a young man who did NOT see the large snake crossing his hiking path)
22. made poppyseed chicken a staple of my diet
23. tried banana pudding and wished it was a staple of my diet
24. worn a tank top and shorts outside in October
24.5 introduced my hair to humidityand gotten used to it
I have...
1. discovered what a Zaxby's is...(and no, it is NOT a fancy sit-down restaurant, which can be confusing...)
2. eaten at, and fallen in love with, Zaxby's, their seasoned fries, and their delicious Zax sauce
3. pushed a "buggy" around the grocery store
4. learned about Milo's sweet tea and its deliciousness
5. learned that drinking your calories might not be the best idea in the land of everything fried, so swore off Milo's sweet tea (along with McAllister's sweet tea...I'd rather eat my calories in the form of their gigantic spuds)
6. been called a "yankee" on more than one occasion
7. been laughed at for calling beverages of the caffeinated genre "pop", and have since slipped up and said "coke"
8. learned that "boil" and "bowl" can sound an awful lot alike
9. tried, and was not impressed with, fried green tomatoes
10. have successfully avoided grits
11. added to my dress collection, as southern women wear dresses EVERYWHERE. up north, I wore dresses to weddings and on an occasional sunday if I had the ambition to shave. here, dresses are worn february - november for (but not limited to) the following occasions: church, work, trips to the grocery store, baseball games, football games, dinner (whether it's one's own kitchen, mcdonalds or connor's steakhouse), camping, going to the movies, and any other event that causes a lady to leave her house during these summer months (dresses can be worn december & january, but typically are accompanied by leggings). there is no such thing as being overdressed.
12. said "y'all" and made it a staple of my vocabulary
13. learned how to spell "y'all" (not to be confused with "yawl" or "ya'll")
14. learned how to correctly use the phrase "bless his/her heart"
15. seen schools close at the prediction of "up to an inch" of snow
16. seen groceries stores completely sell out of bread and milk due to "impending snow storms"
17. been let off work early due to tornado warnings and snow predictions
18. learned the tornado sirens go off at least three times a week in April
19. killed bugs the size of my face
20. had a black widow hang out in my apt. (it has since been killed, or I would not be hanging out in my apt.)
21. witnessed a large snake crossing my hiking path (and heard the expletives of a young man who did NOT see the large snake crossing his hiking path)
22. made poppyseed chicken a staple of my diet
23. tried banana pudding and wished it was a staple of my diet
24. worn a tank top and shorts outside in October
24.5 introduced my hair to humidity
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