Thoughts from my head...

North Carolina Beach Exposure . . .

2009-05-15T22:16:00.002-04:00

The beach was great! Well, I’m kinda surprised I said that because it started out sucky and ended sucky, but the middle was slammin!

The first day we were there I was in a bad mood, the boys hadn’t slept and the little tike needed time on the boob. So we took care of that, unloaded our car into our ‘living space’ which was the nicest room in the joint. Air conditioning, mini fridge and private full bath and even a little extra room/closet to set up the pack-n-play for Josiah to rest his tired body.

We spent 30 minutes getting ready for a beach trip that I was SURE would only last 10 minutes but we trekked up the driveway, across the road, through the sand, down the boardwalk and onto the piping hot beach sand, which was being blown so hard that I thought “If only I had ink I could give myself a little sand tattoo.”

It was so windy! I had Jonathan wrapped like the Christ Child but in one and half minutes he was both asleep and had his face holes covered with sand =( Josiah was freaking out and Stephen was getting more and more frustrated with the pup tent we brought to keep Jonathan out of the sun. It was flapping around like a loose take-out napkin. We brought weights to put in the corners because we knew it would be windy, but it wasn’t happening that day.

Later that night while the sun was setting I went out to the beach alone to watch a crab hunt and some kite flying. Some friends were also attempting to surf in some choppy waves and getting bashed about. When I thought it was dark enough, I ran back to the house, threw on my suit and headed back to the water. I took off what wasn’t swim wear and jumped in. I thought it was going to be chilly, but it wasn’t bad at all.

The next day was Mother’s Day and a wonderful breakfast came to me while I dozed and breastfed. French Toast on Italian bread (my fav!), crispy bacon and High Pulp Simply Made O.J. (the non-murdering kind) and it couldn’t have been better. I put on my – F R E E Z I N G – wet bathing suit from the night before and set forth to reintroduce myself to the world of surfing with a friend of mine. He was cold during out time in the water but I was just fine. I said, "Advantage number 1 of having kids, a layer of blubber to keep you warm in the winter! And the water." By the way, that's the end of the 'Advantage List.'

It took a little work getting past the break, where all the waves were so we could get behind them and ride some in. It wasn’t a stellar day for surfing. I’m still unsure where the time went because all of a sudden I was too dizzy to lay on the long board and it was two hours later. No waves were ridden by Abigail. I still had energy but I swallowed so much salt water I wanted to hurl. Maybe that’s where Hurly got their name.

The family and I got to spend some better time at the beach and Josiah still wasn’t attracted to the waves coming up to the shore. Something about the shear massive size of the ocean in the eyes of an-almost-2-year-old might have something to do with it. That trip lasted a little longer than our first voyage: more like 25 minutes.

The next day it rained and rained and rained and rained and rained and….all day long. We went to the aquarium a few miles away and that turned out really well. Josiah was interested enough to make paying an entrance fee for Steve and I worth while. And Jonathan slept, but we still took pictures of him too so he will know he was there. That’s important to infants, you know.

For lunch, Steve took off on his own to search for food while I got naps started. He made a few phone calls back with different options, like all good husbands should. This ensures a happy wife! He has good taste and knows what I like. Since it was still raining when he got home with the food, he thought he would get less wet if he jumped out of the passengers side of the car: all of 4 feet closer to the house!

When it was time for dinner I found the car battery dead because Steve forgot to turn the lights off! He would have been reminded by chimes if he had used his own door for exiting like most normal people do! I had a brilliant idea for getting a jump and food… pizza delivery!!! Those people come with charged batteries and hot food! How could this not work?!!!!? We made phone calls to find someone who would come out to us, and explained our situation and promised a handsome tip if a willing person would give a little extra time. All parts of our situation was wrong.

1. We lived too far out for delivery. (This scenario is true of all Baptist Children’s Home of North Carolina housing.)
2. No one would take credit cards over the phone because of fraud.
3. People thought we were going to make pizza out of them while they were looking under a car hood. They didn’t take us seriously.

Since it was raining and we only brought beach clothes and not warm monsoon-type clothing, flagging someone down was out of the question. We called USAA and a tow truck jumped us in 4 minutes. Now, what to do about dinner… it’s almost 9 pm at this point. We drive into ‘town’ 4 miles down the street to one of the places who wouldn’t deliver to our location because we were too far (this was a Monday night mind you) and they told us they were closed! Steve told them who we were and he remembered and just gave us two large pizzas that were already made.

We left the next morning.

Lunch Adventure...

2006-08-31T15:52:00.000-04:00

So there was some rice in the fridge at home that I was fixing because I couldn't use noodles with spaghetti sauce because of wheat content so I thought I'd use the rice instead and Steve was standing next to me grilling a cheese sandwich making fun of me by making comments that my rice looked gross and I said shut up because I don't have a choice since I'm not supposed to eat wheat until my doctors appointment to see if I'm allergic to it.

(big breath)

Then I heated up the rice separately from my sauce and when that was done I stuck the sauce in the microwave, started that and smelled the rice which didn't smell very good so I thought that if I tasted it before I joined it with the sauce and thought then that it wasn't good that I wouldn't have wasted the sauce too so I tasted the rice and it sucked!

(big breath)

I gagged on it and then spit it out in the garbage and rinsed my mouth out with orange diet soda and spit that in the sink and yelled "AAaauuuuuuggggg! That's nasty!!!" to Steve because he was upstairs now changing the air filter in the air conditioner and he yelled "What happened!?!" and in between my gargling orange soda and spitting into the sink the timer goes off on the microwave because the sauce is warm but now I have nothing to put it on and I answered “The rice is bad!” =(

(big breath)

So Steve comes down stairs and laughs a little more at my expense, flips his sandwiches and gives me a hug while smiling and I shove him away, called him something petty all the while trying to keep a straight face and acting hurt by his jabbing comments of knowing more than me on the subject of expired food which doesn’t phase me because I grew up in my parents house and lived to tell about it.

(big breath)

Now I’m in a predicament because I’ve got warm sauce, a hungry belly and nothing to put it on for the reason that my starchy base is now expired so I eye a potato (that’s a pun people) in the corner of my small kitchens counter and decide to cut that up, boil it, mash it up and try that with this beautiful doctored spaghetti sauce that my wonderful husband made a few days ago when we entertained a surprise guest from North Carolina who was up for the week end.

(little breath)

It was good.

My Weakness...

2006-02-27T17:15:00.000-05:00

I would rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ will rest upon me.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I am not perfect and will never boast that it is true. Never should my breath be wasted on trying to convince someone that I am better than what I really am.

If I don’t deal with my weakness properly then they will disqualify the power of my strengths.

Striving in my life is spent trying not to let the devil use my weakness for his purpose. The fear of rejection will not rule my life. I will not fear cultivating intimacy which further displays weakness.

We are divinely disabled by God. I am made incomplete by God’s design because I am made to need God. I don’t have a complete package: nobody on earth does. We all need God. God made women because he saw that men are incomplete without them. They need something they can’t provide for themselves. We need the opposite sex, we need each other, we need God, we need the body of Christ. Humans are made with the same need for God. There are things we can’t do for ourselves which require us to look to God for grace and strength. If we were actually perfect, then we would have no need for God and therefore shouldn’t waste our time worshiping Him.

I will not despise most the weaknesses God placed in my life that make me depend on him. He has to shine through in areas that aren’t taken up by me, places where I lack. God—on purpose—made me incomplete so His glory could shine through just so all would know that we couldn’t do it on our own.

When you notice the way you respond to the weaknesses of other people, its’ telling you what you think about your own weaknesses. If you are overly critical about the weaknesses or situations of other people, then you despise and can’t accept your own. If you are gracious with your own, then you will be gracious with others. God gives us grace for the weaknesses he made us with.

If I had a little magic wand to fix all my problems: maybe give myself endless wealth and comfort, by the time I was done waving that little wand, none of us would need God any longer. Only God alone can take my areas of weaknesses and make them areas of glory. His glory.

I will not live in defeated weakness. What knocks me down will not keep me down because God wants us to fight on. We should be eventually empowered by the trials that set us back.

I will not live in deceptive weakness. Jesus had more compassion on those who admitted their weaknesses. He called the Pharisees ‘white washed tombs” because they looked great on the outside to all who came near or knew of them, but they were thoroughly dead inside. They painted over their weaknesses. People hate hypocrisy and Jesus Christ dealt with it first hand because they thought they had no need for God.

Moses was lead to God by a burning bush. The bush never stopped being a bush. It just sat there an accommodated the presence of God. It converted a man who converted a nation who converted the world.

When God did what he came to do, the bush was still a bush. It didn’t become a rose bush. It didn’t become an oak tree. I want to accommodate the glory of God in my life, but there has to be room. There have to be ‘me parts’ missing. I don’t have to change to be something I’m not. It’s because ‘I’m not’ is the very reason God can use me.

There has to be some reason, some way in my life, that I need God.

I have divine weakness. His power is made perfect in it.

Thank you very much ladies, for the open conversation. May Biblical, open, respectful correction flow within our fellowship. To draw us first to our faces with God, then to open arms with each other, then extended hearts to the lost who see how we treat each other.

It's Public....

2006-02-21T13:45:00.000-05:00

because I don't have anything to hide.

Since there is further interest in my previous blog, please allow me to further explain.

ACCOUNTABILITY
Stephen and I have a rule that I am not allowed in his room after 10 PM, no matter what. The door is never closed if I’m in there, no matter the day or the time or the subject matter. He has never entered my bedroom. Ever.

Our roommates (his 2 and my 3) are our active accountability partners who ask us the ‘Hard Questions’ pertaining to the purity of our relationship. We both have 2 close friends out of state who aid in keeping us accountable to our commitment to purity and give us advice. They are kept up to date but since they are not here locally, it is necessary to implement other forms of accountability to safeguard our relationship from a sin that so quickly entangles. All have been very active and do a wonderful job to keep us straight on a weekly basis.

Prior to our engagement, Stephen and I drafted a covenant between us and our Father to clarify lines of purity in our relationship. We signed it, made copies, and gave one to each accountability partner we had so they knew what questions to ask and by what guidelines we are following.

We both needed clear guidelines drawn so a healthy level of respect would be maintained throughout not only our dating relationship and our engagement, but into our marriage as well. The fight gets harder after marriage. Especially one centered on God. Satan hates that the most.

MORE DETAILS
Valentine’s Day was very special me and for Stephen. We looked at the scrap book I made for him in his room until 10:18 pm, and then his roommate came up and reminded us of the time! We were past due to move our get-together down stairs. Since Stephen hadn’t given me the rest of Valentines yet, he asked for permission from his roommates for an extension so we could have a little more time together, and told them what we were going to do. We had a time limit and guidelines to follow and we did just that.

Nothing happened during that time that we needed to ask for forgiveness for from God or from each other, and our accountability partners understand that the covenant we wrote and made with each other was kept. No disrespect was imparted. Nothing was touched that shouldn’t have been. Our relationship is healthy. One act of tender kindness from one adult to another which doesn’t break the laws God has set for our protection is permissible. This isn’t the case for anyone’s relationship at any time.

WHO IS IT FOR?
There are some people who couldn’t handle that level of temptation and Satan would have a green light to come in and do his work. There are some people who are too young to handle that kind of responsibility. Some relationships aren’t to that point yet either, when an intimate moment such as a massage in a romantic setting is appropriate. When there isn’t a definite plan to be married, such as between high schoolers and even some college students, it is not a good idea to share yourself this intimately with someone whom you are not planning to spend the rest of your life with.

As for writing about the happenings in my life: there is an appropriate level of sharing that can take place in a pubic setting that doesn’t embarrass anyone. You don’t know what that level is until someone lets you know that they were bothered with your details.

When I wrote my details about Valentines Day I had in mind grown female readers, my close friends, who know the standard to which Stephen and I keep our relationship. I’ll keep young readers in mind for future postings.

Valentines Day...

2006-02-15T17:20:00.000-05:00

Well, yesterday was a good good day for me. Stephen and I were a little worried that we weren't going to be able to get time together until after 9:30 pm and we were right.

Bible Study Fellowship was last night and since I am a group leader, I am required to be there for my ladies, and I wanted to be there. It wouldn't be fair if they all made the effort to come and miss out on the festivities of the day, then I shouldn't eaither. God blessed our time.

During work yesterday I was having a converstaion with a coworker when I ansered the phone and it was Stephen. He said, "Hey babe, whatcha doin'? You might wanna go check your car out!" Oh, I ran outside and there I found in a vase a dozen light and dark pink long stem roses, a bear with a picture frame around his neck with Stephen inside (it was a picture I took of him the day we were engaed...when i took the picture he had his hand in his pocket on my ring and i had no clue!!!). And there was an awesome card too! I loved all of it! He's never had Valentines with a woman before. And not a man either! Just his friends and family, but this is different!

After bible study go out I went to his house to take him a scrap book of our 2005 together to him, and his card. He loved the book and the card, even though I had to take the book back to finish it! How tacky is that!!! I did want him to see it on Valentines Day and not get it late, even if it wasn't finished yet.

Then I learned that he wasn't finished gving me gifts yet!!! MORE? This is great! So he set the room up with aroma therapy candles and gave me a long massage with oils! Oh. My. Goodness! So sweet! Then, he gave me a new shirt to put on so I wouldn't get oil on my work clothes. It has a hat on the front of it and says, "What Would Ashton Do?" He thought it would be great for me to wear because his last name is Ashton!! It is referring to both Jesus and Ashton Kutcher. I'm sure you got that!

So I had a pretty good day! Tell me about yours!

Sooooo Much....

2006-01-06T16:00:00.000-05:00

This is ME AND THE MAN right before we "took the plung"...skydiving!
These pictures were taken at Thanksgiving at Anna's house. Steve and I are in front.

This is one of the most exciting times of my life! I am side by side with the ones I love planning my wedding day. We are counting down with dry erase marker on my bathroom mirror.

Please pray, that on top of all this CrAzY planning, that I wouldn't neglect my "previous engagements." I still have Bible Study Fellowship obligations and I can't wait to see how the rest of this year will turn out! My relationships with other people in my life shouldn't be forgotten. Maintaining a healthy relationship with Stephen you would think would be a no-brainer, but I don't want to give up one-on-one time with him to only think about and plan the wedding.

Most importantly, my relationship with Father. This should never, ever, be something that gets pushed aside, no matter what 'life brings.' God brings life! He IS life. I shouldn't have time for much else because I can't get enough of him. I can't think of the last time I was late to something because my personal worship and quiet time was that enriching.

(BIG Dave! Thanks for the new number! I’ve tried the old one and it doesn’t work any more. I can’t wait to hear about your basic training extravaganzas!)

All I wanted for Christmas...

2005-12-28T16:37:00.000-05:00

I GOT!

I have the perfect man for me, a ring and a date! And I couldn't be happier! He is so amazing; I don't want to even think about my future apart from him!

The man I have prayed for since I was 11 or 12 is to be mine. He is the man, as I have matured, whom I have thought would be a fantastic match for me, and it’s true. He is the oldest in his family of 4 younger sisters and is 5 years older than me. PERFECT! He has solid character qualities much like the ones my dad displays. Stephen even plays the piano! And very well too! He is so very thoughtful and kind, speaking to me with respect and consideration. His wisdom shows in the few adorable grey hairs that are displayed in his goatee. I love them!!! Yummy!

Stephen Ashton is Christ in flesh to me. He wants to be more and more like the Father who created us from His breath. He won’t put anything, including me in front of his relationship with Almighty God.

I just found another way to post photos, so I’ll do that soon!

About to Thank...

2005-11-21T15:33:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is almost here to 2005 and my list is LOOOOOooooong! I have already had one thanksgiving dinner. It was put together by my over-astoundingly gracious and talented roommate, The Bex and she did a dang up job at a spread for 8 at our home last Thursday. The meal was intimate and enjoyable. The other Turkey celebration was this last weekend in North Carolina.

Friday I worked a half-day then headed down with my baby, a.k.a. The Ashton, to North Carolina to visit the camp he used to work for the last three years. It was an AWESOME trip. I understand more about Stephen now having seen the woods and meeting some boys and chiefs (co-workers) and mentors in Stephen’s life. It was a good time to relax and escape everyday pressures. I’m not sure how much rest it brought Stephen though! He still pushed himself!

Last night the boys at camp wrapped a turkey and buried it under a MASSIVE house-high pile of wood called a BON-fire! The flames reach past tall pine trees! It was cool to hear how camp had affected each one of the boys, chiefs, supervisors and even the founder and his wife were there. They sang camp songs and drank hot cocoa and ate cookies and we left after that.

I have this Thursday and Friday off and Thanksgiving will be spent at my sisters, who just got married (for those who skipped the last blog!) and lives just down the street from me. My new in-laws are from here and are wonderful people: great, kind and open family. So they will be joining us. Along with my mom, dad and youngest brother Steven. (Please note that this ‘baby’s’ name is spelled differently than my baby’s name!)

My oldest younger brother is still in Iraq and doing great. Probably won’t be able to make it for Thanksgiving with our family, but they will have one over there, and done right! Timmy, the middle of my three younger bros, is in a group home and won’t be able to join us =( That’s not going to be any fun! Tim, we’ll miss you buddy.

Sister's Wedding Story...

2005-10-26T14:55:00.000-04:00

HEY! I know you all have wanted to hear about the wedding so I'll tell what I can in the time I have here.

Everyone arrived on time and in style to this destination wedding in South Carolina, Hilton Head Island to be exact. The day was beautiful: it was sun-shiney and warm, cool breeze from the ocean and people stopped to see the wedding. I spent the day with Anna and she did fine until it was time to line up! I heard her say she was the most relaxed she had felt in months while we were in her room getting our hair done, but that was replaced by butterflies in the tummy when the time was approaching. =)

All the grandmas and mom looked GREAT! I have pics of mom and dad that are AWESOME! I made them kiss in one shot and it turned out really well. The boys did a great job ushering the moms and grandmas to their seating. Both Tim and Steven did really well that weekend and I couldn't be prouder!!!!

When I got the pictures developed I got them on a CD so I can share them more easily. I still can't find time to put them on the site: I HATE MYSELF FOR THAT!

My college friend came down and played the violin on the sand and he did a great job. We walked down the sand to the arch they made where the boys and Mike were standing and I watched Mike try to keep himself together and that was funny and hard to do at the same time. If he wanted to he could have seen Anna from far away and watch her walk all the way down to where the chairs and aisle were, but he waited until she was standing with dad at the start of the chairs. Since I had been with Anna and knew what she looked like (NEVER BETTER! Daniel, you would have lost it! Stunning doesn't start to describe her beauty!), I watched Mike start to cry and that made me ball! I'm so glad the pastor started to pray right away because I had to yank my tissue out of my ____________ while everyone's eyes were closed!

The service was short, about 20 minutes, and went well. The kiss at the end was great too! After we marched out we waited for everyone to make it to the courtyard where Cameron was playing his music and there were chairs and little froo-froo foods and drinks while the families stayed and got pictures on the beach.

We all joined the party there in the outdoor courtyard and got to see everyone and take more pictures with cousins I haven’t seen ever and ones I haven’t seen in 11 years.

The reception was nice and laid back. The meal was chicken or roast beef and the cake was many different kinds of cheesecake. Mike’s best man and father made a toast/speech, and so did dad and I. Dad had EVERYBODY rolling! It was GREAT! So funny........but the good thing was he said it like a roller coaster: he would make everybody start to cry then crack a joke. Then he would get serious and say more wonderful things about Anna and his marriage to mom and just when you think you're going to loose it, he would make another JOKE! I was a mess at the end.

And the Truth Will...

2005-10-18T08:44:00.000-04:00

SET YOU FREE! SET YOU FREE! Hallelujah! Two Sunday nights ago Steve and I let the youth group know about our ever-developing friendship/romantic involvement with each other! That was great. We made large flash-card signs and did a skit with those: having a conversation back and forth. They started to get the point about halfway thru. I’m glad they know now. That means I don’t have to lie to them anymore! I hated that. After we were done and Steve and I talked about how God has brought us into the friendship we have and now the added bonus of ‘lover’ on top of that I apologized for not being honest with the girls. There were some times when I needed to cover tracks rather aggressively which called for not being honest all the time. Man, I hated to do that. But it’s all out in the open now.

Adults at the church where this youth group is have started to share with Steve and I about how long they’ve known about our relationship, but respected our planning and privacy with the matter not to push it further than we wanted to go at the time.

We are taking steps everyday to glory in the place God has us today and not rush into future plans. Relationships take time to build, even though Steve and I have known each other for over a year, building a relationship with these kinds of implications takes a different measure of attention and care. It is our fullest intention to prayerfully and graciously accept God’s leading in our lives: together.

Weighing me down…

2005-10-04T14:44:00.000-04:00

I think at this point I must be honest with some of my male friends. I have been hurt recently by some weight comments you’ve made about women. It doesn’t sit well with girls to continuously have this be the topic of conversation. Yes, humans are wired to notice physical beauty: especially men. God made us this way and that is ok. But beauty doesn’t stop there.

It is my belief that when a man is so focused on outward beauty it will take quite a bit to find a lasting relationship when such a fickle thing is the main focus. I am saddened to fathom the numerous potential relationships that men could have with wonderful women that are disregarded simply because she isn’t a size 4 or STUNNING.

Women who fall in the middle of the ‘beauty spectrum’ are most likely going to be more down to earth, full of great character, and think more of others than themselves than ones whose goal everyday is to out-dress and out-make-up the next girl. If men are egotistical and want praise and support and attention from women, but the women they want are spending too much time on themselves in thought and action, then good luck with that.

Not really =( DANG

2005-10-04T08:48:00.000-04:00

Yea, about my blog. I got all excited because I had a lot of pictures at work and a good scanner, and some time, so I thought I'd be able to get some images on my site, but I'd have to download the picture server onto my work computer and that isn't ok. So I have to use my own computer, which is fine. But it adds another step. Transference. I have to make digital files of all the pictures I want to post, save them to a disk and then upload them on my computer and I haven't made time for it. Frankly. And I want to! Oh I want to, and I know it's important because you all want to see what is going on in my life and I've taken so many pictures this year and there is nothing to show for it. As far as the blog goes.

I suck at picture posting!

Pictures...Finally!

2005-09-26T17:41:00.000-04:00

Ok, I always talk about posting pics, so I'm starting to redeem myself. I think!

The Rest of the Story...

2005-09-12T19:10:00.000-04:00

It is my New Year's Resolution to start writing shorter blogs. I will still write the occasional long one when needed. That way others (Joey) will be able to stay up to date with my life without feeling ‘blogged’ down with my frequent extraordinarily extensive writings.

A few people have asked about what happened to my foot post x-ray and the rest of that story is nothing! They found nothing. A few days after that it began to heal with the help of….oh…there I go….tellin’ stories all long and stuff! It’s all better now!

My sister’s wedding is coming up and the shower is this weekend. Because of my duties of Maid of Honor I am mostly responsible for that and wholly responsible for her Bachelorette Party…which doesn’t even exist now! The wedding is a month away and I’m thinking I’m a little behind.

Daniel is back safe and sound in Iraq. The visit was wonderful, even though saying good-bye yet again was difficult. God gave me a wonderful brother whom I am very thankful for: no matter what.

ALL DONE!

Brother Time and Skydiving...

2005-08-30T12:47:00.000-04:00

First things first: the x-ray on my foot didn’t show anything broken or cracked, but if I want a bone scan I can have it. $$$ No thanks! $$$ I don’t feel the pain anymore so there isn’t anything else I wanna do to it. It’s good.

Daniel got here a few days ago and seeing him again and being able to spend lots of time with him has been fantastic! I know you all know how I feel about my oldest younger brother so I won't take time to express that right now, but I LOVE HIM VERY MUCH! We were a little late to the airport here in town so I didn't get to see him come off the plane or meet him right as he came in, but he got here just fine and that's all that matters now. By 'we were a little late' I mean my roommate Becky (a.k.a. Bex) and my good friend Steve and I all went to meet Daniel.

A 2 hour dinner at Logan's started a couple minutes after the in-town airplane in and MAN...that was great =) The picture I will post later is from that first night in Lynchburg. We all went to my house afterwards and meet up with my sister Anna and her soon-to-be husband when they were done with church and Daniel showed some pictures and video clips on his laptop from his 4 month stay in Iraq.

The next day after I got off work Daniel picked me up and we went to Sam's and bought 6 racks of pork ribs to cook up for a welcome home dinner at my house for a dozen of my closest friends, family and soon to be family. When that was finished we all went to Mountain Frost Creamery for a delicious ice cream treat. (That sounds like a commercial!)

I worked a half day last Friday so Daniel and I could get out of town to partake in a birthday surprise for Steven’s 12th birthday in Hampton. He had no idea that Daniel was even here or that I was going to be there for his birthday! I promised Steven a dozen donuts if he would come out and watch my triathlon and of course I forgot and of course he didn’t. I told him over the phone that he would have them on his birthday, PROMISE. And he did. My camera was snapping pictures during the whole surprise so I’ll post a few of those too. No really. I will. Just watch =)

Daniel’s girl Jenna is also in the GA Nat’l Guard and was stationed alongside of Daniel in Iraq but they don’t get to see each other that much. They were both able to come back to the states for break. Her parents live in the same town our parent’s do which is mighty nice and convenient so we all met up and went out to eat at the steak house my other brother Timmy works at for Steven’s birthday. Whew. Finger full.

The first half of Saturday was spent touring a US Navy ‘something’ and it was AMAZING! It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Jenna’s step-dad works there so he was able to clear us for a private guided tour. Unbelievable. I wish I could tell you more but I can’t over the internet for security reasons. Only face to face can I explain it. Phone conversations about it is out of the question too. These things I am learning.

It was meal time again so my family (everyone except Anna b/c she was working) and Jenna’s family shared a meal then said good bye to her parents b/c they were leaving town for a trip. I took a much needed stinkin’ nap for a few hours while Dan spent some quality time with his lady and bros. Dessert before heading back to the desert was in the evening with Jenna before she had to catch her plane back to Iraq Sunday morning.

I’ll finish this later!

This One Is Short...

2005-08-12T11:10:00.000-04:00

Ok, I keep promising that one day I would write a blog that you wouldn’t need to schedule vacation time to read, so hopefully I’ll meet my goal with this one =)

I just wanted to post a quick up date on the exciting world that is my August. Each Sunday night I help a friend of mine teach his youth group girls and we had our first lesson last Sunday: it went SO well! The learning and growing that will happen in lives and hearts because of this class is thrilling to me! I am not excluded from begin effected. God continues to reveal himself thru both study and teaching and I’ve learned so much.

My brother is coming home from war to visit and he’ll be here on the 24th of this month and we’ll spend a week together! We’ll make a trip out to my parents for a few days during that time so we can all be together. It will be great to have him here again.

My two favorite readers, Heather and Holly—beautiful twins and wonderful mothers—are expecting anther babe into the family! Well, Holly is expecting but Heather isn’t. Her baby boy, Little Steve, is turning 2 on Monday, August 15. Holly’s second girl, Allie, is turning 8 months old the day after that! The sad thing is I haven’t met either one of them. Kayle is talking now but I haven’t seen her since she was seconds old…. =( not good

Next weekend I’ll be spending some time at the beach on a little vacation with my best friend and some people I haven’t even meet yet! That should be great fun. = - )

I am getting an x-ray done today on my foot because it’s been hurting for a week and I’m starting to think it is bone related. It became clear that it wasn’t muscular when it started. I though that it was spiritual warfare, and I’ve spent some time in prayer about it and it’s continuing to grow. I’ve even try to forget that it was there and carry on: going on hikes and taking care of house and car stuff, throw a ball around in the park. Nope. Still hurts. And even more so. Yesterday I broke down and finally went to the doctors about it. Since my insurance ran out when I turned 23 last April, I didn’t just want to run to the doctor at the onset. (Ok Short Abby. Keep it short!) X-ray today. Will tell you about it later!

Lookin' Forward To...

2005-08-02T01:30:00.000-04:00

AUGUST! Yes I am! Well, it's already here, so I'm living a dream I guess. This month is going to bring really awesome things, and already has. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, August has already been amazing these 1.2 days into the month! Jealous? Should be =)

Today was great beyond expression and that's all I can say about that.... it's beyond expression! I don't know how else to put it. At least on the world wide web. And for all to see, because, you have to understand that it's a little......mine. Who in the world writes about what they can't say? I don't know who would waste their time like that!

In other news, on the 5th of this month I will find out if I have enough students to teach sign language this next school year to Jr. High and High schoolers. This Sunday night I will begin to teach the young women in the Elon Baptist Church youth group about what it means to be a woman made with God's image. NOT JUST IN IT. With it. We've got it. Who we are as women reflect directly the Father who made us. We will look at why Satan hates us. Why he picked Eve to bring sin into the world and what each sex's first sin was and that it continues to be our downfall today. Thirdly, we’ll think about some of the hurts that women deal with, and lastly but not leastly, lol we’ll look at a Godly dating relationship should look like based on the value we have as daughters of the Lord Most High!

Whew, don’t get me started! So that will be going on each week. So looking forward to getting to know these girls and pouring my love out on them. I think my own Bible study is starting this month too. As colleges and high schools around the city get back in gear the BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) will be as well. We are studying Genesis this year. It takes 7 years to go over all the materials available to BSF chapters. This is my 2nd year. Can’t wait!

Today I started working fulltime at CLARKE, Inc. or Clarke Communications, Creative Marking and Print Communications Firm, because I am done with college and am a big girl now! Started with salary too. How monumental! 9-5 baby, here we go! All work no play. Yea right! Who believes that?

I am finishing up some internship hours that were left over from Dec/Jan and that is going towards revamping a churches bulletin design and launching their new logo because they have existed for a long time as a body of believers, but they are just now getting their first building that didn’t used to be a Salvation Army or grocery store or elementary school. (that’s a long sentence. not even really sure if it’s a sentence still) ANYWHO, so that’ll be done with and that’s good. Nothing looming over my head and eating up spare time. Another freelance job I’m doing will be my best portfolio piece yet. I’ll be done with that in a few weeks, should be this month. Great paying job!

Planning my sisters bridal shower is going to be this month. My brother Daniel ( www.spcellyson.blog.com) should be visiting us this month which is going to ROCK! I’ve been waiting for that for a LONG time. =) I need him right now. Now that I’m done
with college, I’m faced with all sorts of choices and I’d love to hear what he has to say about some of them.

Let’s recap:
Find out if I’m teaching or not
Teach youth about womanhood and dating
Starting BSF weekly bible study, Genesis
Started CLARKE, Inc. fulltime, without classes, and with salary
Finishing internship hours
Finish BIG portfolio booster Freelance job
Plan sisters bridal shower
Visit with brother Daniel on break from Iraq
Meet NEW PEOPLE…..A+ Families!
and youngest brother Steven is turning 12!

THAT’S IT! I told myself this wasn’t going to be a long blog—but it totally is! I am working on getting them shorter, I know ya’ll don’t have all the time in the world.

Rubberside Down...

2005-07-25T22:29:00.000-04:00

SOoooo I DID IT!! WHOO HOO!! You can now refer to me as Madam Triathlete! I finished my first triathlon yesterday in a wonderful way. I didn’t win in anyone else’s eyes, score sheet or time clock, but I did in my own eyes. And in the eyes of my favoritist roommate Becky, Leonard, mom and youngest brother, Steven. When I was done with everything and my belongings were being carried by my Mini Fan Club ($199.95/annual membership fee plus shipping and handling…for what I don’t know) and we were all headed back to the car, I saw that Lucy Ann Foxworthy (my car) had been attacked by window paint which read, “TRIATHLETE” right across the front windshield and on all the door windows it said “ABBY ROCKS” and “GO 365”. The back windshield said, “I AM A TRIATHLETE and my friends love me”

It was awesome to see that! I couldn’t have asked for better support. Getting to the race destination the day before was more difficult than the training just because things weren’t lining up ‘just right’ but nevertheless, we all had fun and I didn’t bleed at all! Or break a nail! Ok, so you wanna hear about the race or what?! Alrighty then. Read on my friends.

My youngest bro Steven had been visiting with me for a few days before the race, so when we packed up to leave town, he came with to be handed off again to my mother, who joined us at the hotel in Richmond, Virginia. An hour after I wanted to leave my house we were still putting stuff into the car and I was going over my packing list one more time. I thought it would be nice to take the bike computer (the more technical name might confuse some people, so we’ll stick with that for now, it tells you how fast you are going and how far you’ve gone and another dozen helpful things) from my old bike to the new borrowed one for pacing. I hadn’t even done a ride with it, but I thought, if we can get it to work then I’ll use it. Leonard knows more about that kinda thing being the mechanic that he is, so he put it on and got it to work, but it was wound too tightly so when I turned the handle bars the wire pulled out of the screen and it was broken. Not going to be used today. Never mind about that, put it into the house and we’ll just go.

During the 2.4 hour ride to the packet pick up site, Leonard took off his seatbelt to look at the pictures in a magazine that Becky was reading from, and I wasn’t about to have that in my car! My mom taught me better! “Leonard, would you be embarrassed if I had to pull this car over because you don’t have your seatbelt on?”
[blank stare from Leonard]
Next scene [Abby’s Honda stopping on the shoulder of the highway until Leo decides to buckle up]
Next scene [Abby becoming more and more like her mother = ) ]

Well, because of all that, the powdered Gatorade canister hit the floor and busted upon, spilling on Steven and assorted other goods. WE HADN’T EVEN BEEN DRIVING FOR 30 MINUTES! AHHHHhhhhh! Hardees was close we took care of things there, but didn’t stop to eat because I had been eating the whole day preparing to break my body the next, so I didn’t even think about my passenger’s growing appetites. We found a gas station/DQ and that was another unnecessary experience that Abby didn’t need in her day.

This is what the DQ counter looked like: a group of lost 14-year-olds responsible for meeting the requirements of hungry customers and at the same time maintaining a restaurant that will satisfy their ‘C’ score. There were a ton a people in line and nothing was being done about it. The dipped cones that 3 young ones were working on (if at this point you think there were 3 cones….one for each worker…there weren’t…there was one that all of them were working on!) came out looking like nothing was even covering them and the people in front of us wanted their money back! I asked them if food was being served today and they said “Go somewhere else! Don’t even think about trying to get anything here! It just isn’t happening.” I made the executive decision to get our lunch from the gas station wing of this fine establishment on an exit where Nothing Else Was!

Steven and Becky and I had paid for our stuff and while I was waiting on Leonard to get thru the line I thought, to calm myself down, I would start eating some of the sunflower seeds I’d just purchased. I looked Becky straight in the face and said, “I am SO irritable.”

At that very second I’d succeeded in opening my bag of sunflower seeds…very well! The contents of that little bag flew EVERYWHERE! I just maintained eye contact with Becky and laughed! Those little seeds had seen some air because they went soaring. I looked over at Steven and he said “I think some went in my pocket.” They had! That changed my mood and the rest of our lunch was eaten on the ground on the side of this place right out of the pits of….

We got to the package pick-up site and saw that I’d been placed—due to the swim time I’d entered—365 out of 408 participants. Wasn’t looking good. Didn’t matter. I’d only been training for less than two months and was going to go thru this to learn about it and find out if I wanna make it a hobby of mine. Which means dropping a lot of money on gear and a lot of time on training. Found the hotel, NICE hotel, checked in, took the bike into the room so nobody could cut my tires/chain/brake lines, then waited for mom then headed for The Last Supper. Chinese! Lovely place. Mom graciously footed the bill for us all so we ate well! THANKS MOM! Dinner was relaxing and full of laughter. Lots of dog and cat jokes. Jokes about our full-blooded Chinese waiter having a nametag on that reads JACK. = )

I didn’t have a way to get my race number on my jersey so we bought a sewing kit from a neighboring grocery store then headed back to the hotel for a nice light swim. While Becky perfectly sewed my number on, Steven, Leonard, mom and I swam in a little indoor pool with 30 cannon ball happy children. ALL THE SAME AGE! Young! It kept things light though. Bedtime came early, sleep came later…that could have been better but can’t change that now. I did what I could to shut off my world without loosing my salvation and that’s all I could do. The best night of sleep is the night before the night before the race and I did well with that.

Becky took me to the race site by 6 AM so family and friends could sleep a little more. Before Becky left I got on my bike to put it into the gear I wanted to start in but wasn’t wearing my helmet and an official stopped me. “Are you aware that at any point today if you are seen riding your bike today without a helmet on you could be disqualified?” “No Sir, I wasn’t.” “Well, now you are.” Then he walked away. I looked at Becky and asked, “I am aware or disqualified??!?!? AHHHhhhh. I didn’t even get to race! I can’t be out! Wait come back! But since he didn’t ask my name or number (not in the dating kinda way… =) we figured that he was just letting me know. Whew. Got the helmet, mounted the bike only to find out that I only could get one gear to work! That wasn’t good. I asked a dude parked next to me to tell me what he could about it but he didn’t want to help at all. I told Becky it would either get fixed or I would peddle the heck out of it regardless, so she should head on back to rally the Mini Fan Club.

An official was walking by so I stopped him and he said he could tell me as much as I needed to know, and whatever he could tell me, but he wouldn’t be allowed to touch it. He touched it anyways and we figured it out. Another WHEW! I got my body numbered and my racing timepiece strapped to my left ankle to time all of my sections. Then waited. Listened to the little pow-wow everyone had to go to about rules and times and awards and penalties then waited. Read strategy from my book then waited some more. How I wished I had brought my cell phone to call someone to take my brain off of pre-race jitters.

After the first swimmers got thru with that leg of the race, I was watching them transition and chose to rethink my plans for transitioning between events. Some people were even getting back from their bike ride after swimming and starting their run before I even got into the pool. From watching them I made a few more modifications to my transitioning post bike ride. I finally saw my Mini Fan Club and invited them to watch me swim from the Wall-O-Window inside the YMCA then got in line.

I didn’t even know what to think about when I started my swim. Absolutely nothing was in my head. You might think that’s astonishing, but it is so true my friends. Well, I did think one thing I guess: “Don’t swallow any of this water.” That’s about it. Once I got going and my heart was beating faster I did remember that “This is the easiest part of the race. Nothing will be easier than this moment, so it isn’t that hard.”

Just keep swimming Just keep swimming Just keep swimming Just keep swimming

All during my swim I could hear my mom from behind the glass “GO ABBY! ATTA GIRL!” I stopped to wag my tounge and give heavy metal hands (hold hand in a tight fist in front of you and stick your first and pinky fingers out…now you can rock ‘n roll!) That was fun! It costs seconds, but it’s ok! I knew where I stood in the race at that point, wanted to do my very best, working my hardest, but still be able to acknowledge my Mini Fan Club and thank them for being there.

When I got done swimming I thought I would be more dizzy than I was, but I could still run after gosling my inner-ear fluid all around. I booked it out the back door and around the backside of the YMCA in bare feet—on rocks—only to round the last building corner to see EVERYONE that had come with me cheering me on! That was great! Becky was taking pictures and running along with me. We were yelling at each other and it was fun! I took my goggles off and swung them around my head in jubilation (that’s right, I was jubilant!) and said “You’re doing this next baby! It’s you and me Bex!) I don’t know what happened after that!

Just kidding. I ran thru a kiddy pool of water to clean my feet off before I suited up for the bike ride. Bike shorts are hard to put on while wet, and so are sock, but I knew it was going to be and had prepared for it. From hundreds of yards away I could hear my mother again: WAY TO GO ABBY! YOU CAN DO IT! This is when I learned a very important lesson. God had made my mother loud for that very moment, and I was glad! I used to think, “OMG, not another life story for the check-out clerk” and now it had all changed! LOL it was funny.

With a strapped helmet and a gel pouch for later consumption under my short leg against my thigh, I ran the bike out of T1 and off we went. When I got to a place where I though I was supposed to go strait, the volunteers were pointing me to turn so I did. But that was wrong. Seeing a T in the road in a residential area with no markers of where to turn was indication to me that I was in the wrong place so I turned around and headed back. “Thanks a lot guys!” “We tried to yell for you to come back!” I thought, POINT BETTER NEXT TIME FELLAS!

It cost me about 4 minutes, nothing that would have counted in the end, but frustrating. I passed a lot of people, did really well, pushing myself the whole way. There were people all along the route cheering for us and telling us where to go as they stopped traffic. There was a girl in my age group that passed me and that made me go even harder. It was amazing to me that I could catch up to her on hills, where she was weaker, but she spanked me anyways. I pushed myself to keep her in sight, but the windy road didn’t allow for that.

Getting dressed for the run took half the time as dressing for biking because I could run and get dressed and drink water and kiss my brother. Multi tasking. I felt like I was driving! Some triathletes tell you that after a bike ride running is very difficult because you are using a whole new set of muscles. I didn’t feel that, but probably because I only rode for 13 miles. I ran smoothly and steadily for the first mile or so then walked then ran then walked and ran. It was hot out side at this point and I could feel how hot my body was because I wasn’t breaking wind with it like I was on the bike. That sucked. And because of my ever-weakening knees, I knew that running was going to be the hardest for me. I spent a lot of time doing it, and in the mean time I saw that same girl that passed me on the bike running back to finish just as I was getting starting. DAG YO!

When I got nearer to the finish line and could hear people cheering, I picked up the pace and pounded the pavement into the Y parking lot, YES!!! I had finished! The announcer was saying my name, where I was from and that I was the ONLY person there representing Liberty University! I didn’t even think as to how they knew that…all I wanted was a shower! Come to find out, my mother told her after she had been announcing other students of colleges in the area! I was greeted by my peeps with more picture taking (they will be up soon, along with the other 3,287 ones that I’ve previously promised!) and cold PowerAid.

T’was a day I shant soon forget. Especially with all the reliving I just did to share this life changing experience with you!

Finding a groove...

2005-07-19T01:00:00.000-04:00

Now that college is done, my triathlon is next Sunday and my house is back in order, things are starting to settle down. I am trying to find out what life feels like if lived at 65 MPH and not 110 MPH. Ever since I moved to VA 2 years ago to finish school I have been going going going, and now I don't have to anymore. Actually, I've lived my life like that for years and years. 6 maybe. Terrified to slow down and enjoy the life that was all around me...that's changing now.

As 'middle age' comes at me ever so slowly I know what it feels like to want children and not be able to b/c your life isn't set up for them. It's a place in life, rather. Something natural, but real, nonetheless. I used to think it was really scary to wake up one day and the only thing you really have to do is go to work. Ew! I still don't like saying it, but it's a nice place to be. I'm ready for it. Something stable, something to trust, something you can make a healthy budget off of. I start salary living in August and things will be good. I'll sleep in a bed, one without piles of a randomly lived life all over it. I'll be able to eat a lunch sitting down. I'll keep my car free from 'transportable evidence of a busy life' and have it in a way that I won't have to rearrange my stuff to make room for another body. I think I'll wax my car tomorrow.

Keeping in touch with friends who've moved away is important to me. Hanging out with friends that still live here is near the top of my list. Maintaining peace within the walls in which I dwell is a constant prayer, not b.c it is that difficult, 'cause it's not. It's wonderful. It's b/c it's that important. For women, what goes on in other parts of our lives effects the rest of our lives. If home is good, them work is great. If playtime is healthy, then home time is wonderful. It matters.

Staying in constant communication with my family is high on my list of things that will fill my time. A brother in Iraq, the first person to get married is Anna and that's going down in October. I still have 2 young brothers at home that need to know that 'older siblings' care and want to get to know them as they age. Grandmothers living it up as they keep their lives busy with people and tasks. Cousins that I am not nearly as close to with only 8 of them on BOTH sides of my family as people are with 72 on just their mother's side! Leonard!

This week as my first tri nears, I will be asking my body to remember what I want it to do gently, nothing to pushy. Not going to be training too hard. Eating well, as I have been for 3 months since I can afford fresh food again! It's nice to be able to eat oranges and green beans.

Since it's late, I'll go to bed and think about why in the world I'm still up. I need my rest! One more thing though, WEDNESDAY IS GOING TO ROCK! Several really good reasons, to name a few...Anna is turning 25, I am picking up Steven (the youngest in our family) to hang with me till the race, and one other thing that's a surprise. Even I don't know what it's going to be yet, but I'll let you know when I do. Maybe.

My 4th of July...

2005-07-07T17:46:00.000-04:00

The original plan was to play some Frisbee Golf at Peaks View Park, but Play-It-Again sports closed and each Frisbee was $10 and 7 were needed. I couldn't spot $$$ for that so when I got home from a long, strenuous day at the office, the plans were still not made. I get tried—sometimes—of being the program director for misfit college students stranded in a small country town in the summer. =)

Finally, after 1 HOUR of waiting, roommate Becky is close enough to being ready so she slams her wet hair into a ponytail holder, and everyone hurries out the cars.
Into the cars we go,
down the road fo sho,
to play Putt-Putt we might,
if it’s not too late at night.

Ok…so it wasn’t too late and we played…lets just say it was a very Happy Gilmore kinda night.

After Putt-Putt Becky and I proceeded to gorge ourselves silly on a meticulously blueprinted, diagramed, label and mapped out banana split transcribed via pen and napkin that was constructed by 2 patient and accommodating Mountain Frost Creamery scoopers. Everyone else just had ice cream. Once our brain-freezes had subsided and all hands were clean we piled back into the cars and headed up the mountain to Eagle Eyre.

From the rocky roof of the aged cafeteria, Leonard, Steve, Keith and I could view 6 firework displays going on simultaneously over the Greater Lynchburg area, while Austin Lee, Billy and Becky view one, very small and distant show from the parking lot below. Tragically inspired by the firework displays I rocket-launched myself off of the rocky roof and bolted to the swing set followed by 6 overly eager young adults.

Once we realized how much fun it was to revisit those sweet childhood memories we all became unstoppably giddy to the point of nearly vomiting rainbow sprinkles and maraschino cherries. Even though none of us threw-up...it definitely wore us out, causing our swinging to come to an embarrassing height that could have been easily topped by a 5 year old. Although the heights achieved by most of the group at this time were still topping Keith’s inability to swing at all (poor giant all 6 foot 7 inches of him).

Keith, the kindhearted giant, found his match in a slide that was OBVIOUSLY built for him. A slide that would, no doubt, fill the reports of many OSHCA field agents (it might even have lead paint on it!). Blue jeans against aluminum were not giving Keith the slide speed desired to mimic the Jamaica Bobsled team, so something else had to be done. Determined, he grabbed the wool blanket Steve had pulled from his trunk and wrapped it around his bottom half (several times), and found the speed he was looking for. Inspired, Steve strapped his headlamp to his forehead, caped the wool blanket around his neck and began his accent to the top of the slide. Enter New Sport: Wooluminum Sliding!!!

(Due to the fact that many mothers may read this, I will not go into detail about the additional creative things young adults influenced by large amounts of sugar can do with a wool blanket on a 60 degree angled 20 foot long slide.)

After we were done exploring the forbidden camp grounds we decided to head back to my house for a nightcap.....of Icy Pops!

What you have experienced is the tale of 7 “legal” adults enjoying the celebration of the 4th of July without the consumption of alcohol.

Overflow of the heart...

2005-07-01T11:32:00.000-04:00

The youth group I helped out with during VBS last week is like a drug to my heart! I love those kids. They are one GREAT group of young people in need of some TLC and they don't have a choice but to get it from me! They all are beautifully different and each have something special to add to the group. They are just amazing, but you'd have to visit to know. I look forward to continuing my influence via Holy Spirit and God's strength throughout the summer then....who knows?!?!

I am leaving today for Philly with a buddy of mine from seminary to visit another friend of ours who is an LU seminarian working up there for the summer for a historic weekend in celebration of our independence to religious freedom. Live Aid (or Live 8!) will be doing their outdoor free concert and 1-2 MILLION people will come. There is only one in the United States and the rest are all around the world. All day concert of MUSIC and live feed from other cities around the globe. The Philadelphia LIVE 8 Concert will be held in conjunction with other concerts at London’s Hyde Park as well as near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Circus Maximus in Rome:
• 12:04 -- Paul McCartney & U2 Live from London
• 12:14 -- Black Eyed Peas
• 12:33 -- Bon Jovi
• 12:54 -- Madonna Live from London
• 1:00 -- Destiny's Child
• 1:16 -- Kanye West
• 1:30 -- Will Smith
• 1:50 -- Coldplay Live from London
• 1:56 -- Toby Keith
• 2:13 -- Dave Matthews Band
• 2:40 -- Alicia Keys
• 2:52 -- Def Leppard
• 3:10 -- Linkin Park and Jay-Z
• 3:50 -- Tim McGraw Live from Rome
• 3:56 -- Sarah McLachlan
• 4:11 -- Maroon 5
• 4:28 -- Green Day Live from Berlin
• 4:34 -- Keith Urban
• 4:48 -- Jars of Clay
• 4:56 -- Pink Floyd Live from London
• 5:00 -- Rob Thomas
• 5:21 -- Stevie Wonder

AND ITS ALL FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE!!!!! YEA!
We'll be coming back late Sunday night, but it'll be soooo much fun. I'm glad I'm in a place in life where I can enjoy this kinda stuff without too much headache or other responsibility holding me back. No family or babies yet, but one day. I'm ready when God is! That truly is the overflow of my heart.

4 Hours in a Saddle...

2005-06-20T23:00:00.000-04:00

steve (seminary/outdoor rec. friend) leads a youth group and is starting to teach about dating/relationships/personal value and needs a female teacher so he's bringing me on to play that role. their VBS started today and i'm going to join them for the rest of the week to build casual relationships with the girls and some of the boys too, but focusing on the females.... excited about that! my sunday night teaching time will start here in a few weeks, so i'm brushing up on things.

last saturday i rode 42 miles with my legs to the wind and head in a helmet. crazy. i have never been more 'pro-life' than after that point. i was thinking, "this father's day is going to suck if i die on a bike! you can do it abby!" i slept for 4 hours after i got home from biking then drove 5 hours to pick up joey from the airport in N.C. and back. then went to SLEEP again. then slept in sunday morning. i was wasted tired. but not sore really. kinda weird. i drained my body of everything it had in it, but one thing didn' t hurt more than another.

going to bike to work tomorrow as i have done many times before. my quads are getting much stronger, so running shouldn't be that bad on my knees, but they still get stiff and cracky after junk like that so i got a brace and try to take it easy. thinking about muscles and foot placement as i 'glide' along the blacktop helps i think. running is going to be the most difficult part of my race, swimming is my strongest as of now. i need to be doing something everyday, but wind up only training about 4-5 times a week. not too bad, i know...but i weight lift on the off days anyhow.

For my favorite soldier...

2005-06-12T08:05:00.000-04:00

Dear God:

You are all. Big and small. Beautiful. And wonderful to trust in grace through faith. But I am asking to taste—Lord I need to hear from you. Be near, oh God, for your nearness is to me my good. Your fullness is mine. Let me be full with your embrace. Whom have I but you?

God I pray in the power of the blood of your holy Son, Jesus Christ, the perfect servant to all. God give me a garment of praise for my heaviness. You are worthy of all the glory and all the honor and all the praise. You saved me, raised me, filled me with the Holy Ghost, and healed me. Father your blood will always be enough: make me evermore satisfied in your love. Let me glory in the presence of you, my King. Take this heart of stone and make it yours. God I trade all that I have for all that is better. You are the great taste, The Richest of Fare.

God it’s hard to think of what might be better than what you have already blessed me with: my precious family and most especially my brother, Daniel. God, by the matchless blood of the Lamb that covers me, I present Daniel before you now, blameless, without blemish. God, you call him your own—your child, your servant. Through Daniel I have seen a picture of your face, a measure of your grace, love of you relived. God release me of all selfishness.

Give us the hearts of servants. By your hand we move. You are God: our only source of true hope. God I’ve tried to use more of me and always come up dry. I’ve traded you for things that go away. God my happiness is found in less of me and more of you. The answer to all things is to love you and be loved by you. Let us not be satisfied with knowing you in part, and not to be with you where you are. You give me mercy, You give me grace. You beckon me to be holy as you are.

Glorious and mighty are your ways in all the earth. And may your worth arrayed in glory render hearts that only worship you. My thoughts of Daniel fill me with joy, oh the love of a sister. Never would I conceive that my love would result in such ache or such gladness. God, you ache for me in my sin—when I am far from you. I cannot compare my feelings of love for my brother to Your love for me, but Lord that leads you to understand my situation.

Smile on us, Dear God. Made in your perfect image. Made to intimately commune with you alone. Draw us to that place of pure fellowship. Revel your beauty in every creation.

Fun in the Sun...

2005-06-06T23:30:00.000-04:00

Ok, since one of my closest friends made a smart comment on a current post about me not putting pictures up b/c my camera is and SLR 35mm and I have to scan pictures in after they are developed and processed, I am going to do things a little differently.

When we do stuff together and pictures are taken with his digital camera, and he posts them to his site, I am going to say “TO SEE PICS OF MY WEEKEND, VISIT www.jrgibbs.blogspot.com.” When I have the chance to pursue a sitting activity that sooths my unrested soul, then I will scan 20 or 30 of my best ones in and post them. That should be fun! There are some good ones.

My most recent adventure has been repelling a 150 foot rock face off the Blue Ridge Parkway last Saturday with 4 friends and yesterday I went on a 15-ish mile bike ride with Joey (see above address for pics!). Down a wooded bike/walk/run/skip trail along a river then all thru our rusted yet curious downtown. It should be called uptown b/c there are some hills that Lance himself wouldn’t brave. They are doozies. I did bike up a few of them without having to walk my wheels up. And that was only done using the 5 gears I know how to work. (And to think I am going to soon call myself a triathlete. I just added that word to my computer’s dictionary!)

I am going to start riding with a group of triathletes Saturday mornings and with a group of women Thursday nights. Weigh isn’t coming off like I thought it would be by now. My endurance level is much higher now than 2 weeks ago when I started training, but my body looks no different. 4 pounds and 3 inches are gone, but that scale... wicked beast of a thing. Caloric intake has lessened; intense training has filled an hour or so every day for two weeks and still no budge, only bulge. Maid of honor dresses scare me at this point.

Busy, yet bored...

2005-05-28T14:02:00.000-04:00

How in the world is it possible to have a healthy list of things to do around the house and reading to do and a little school work and working 30 hours a week and train for a triathlon and still be bored? I dunno, but I’m am.

I haven’t told a ton of people that I am doing a triathlon at the end of July because I just found out about it. Looked it up and thought it would be a good time and great fun so I started training on Wednesday and have everyday since then. Swimming 300 meters (400 meters is ¼ mile) should take about 10 minutes or so, biking 13 miles (I have the most improvement to make in this category) and running 3 miles and that should take 25 minuets or a little more. I want to be able to finish the whole thing in an hour and a quarter. I actually have no idea what a respectable time for a race like this is, so I could be way off.

Bible studies are done for the summer so there are two less meetings I have during the week which is one reason I’m bored right now. I can think of a short list of things I could accomplish around the house but since I have time to do them, I don’t want to. There is a book I’ve started and desperately want to finish and now that I have the time, don’t want to. Weird how deadlines and make us go.

Support your Soldiers...

2005-05-23T18:42:00.000-04:00

I talked to Daniel today and he sounded good. Up-beat but taking things in stride. He said, "Abby, you never know what you're going to miss untill you see this much sand!" We laughed! It was a blessing to hear from him. ANYONE anyone that can read this blog knows how to send a 21 year old soldier a letter or package. It makes a big difference in their day to get mail from those they know and those whom they are just getting to know.

SPC Ellyson, Daniel E.
HHC 48th BCT
APO AE 09372

WRITE HIM TODAY! We all know it doesn't take that long to make a great impact on a soldier’s day! www.spcellyson.blog.com is his blog if you are interested in reading the words of someone risking death to keep you alive... my brother. So proud!

About out my head...

2005-05-16T17:17:00.000-04:00

Jennifer my first roommate was here for a few days visiting from TX. I've helped one roommate-to-be pack up and move, move a few things into my basement, move another girl into my room (I’m on the couch till June but fine with it) and moving things to give her more space. I made space to store things for the summer for an ex-boyfriend, downstairs and helped him unpack it, rearranged my living room b/c of Austin-Lee getting married, moving out and needing to take things with her.

Went hiking Saturday after graduation and it rained on us, then I reheated leftovers for dinner b/c we were all pooped. The leftovers were from the 11-person dinner party the night before. That was wonderful! Good time.

Plans changed yesterday and made a quick trip to take Jen to the airport in Richmond and Joey went with us. Weather was terrible but we made it. Had a mini meeting about the canoe trip that’s starting Wednesday night last night with Steve. We are meeting with everyone tonight to gather money for food and other communal gear and talk about expectations and vision cast lol. 12 ppl going in all: I am one of two girls. Other one is my roommate, Melissa.

This morning I started summer school and it’s going to keep me WAY busier then I expected. I have to BEFORE 8 AM TOMORROW MORNING

-buy books and read chapters
-find a magazine with an article to sumerize and type up
-make a presentation about it in the morning
-make a personal logo for personal stationary
-print out all my portfolio pieces for peer review
-make 3 mock brochure styles of different folds, panels and length

I AM SO PISSED OFF and I don’t think I should be but I am. I don't think we should have that much to do the FIRST DAY. I WORK YA KNOW! I got to work and told my supervisor that I was mad and to not to mind me. Communication was rough and frustrating. Art direction sucked.

Daniel leaving and people moving and work sucking and school still going and this trip coming up is starting to make me CRAZY!!! I'm not dead now b/c of my wonderful friend Jennifer. She makes my life great. She represents my Jesus to me in a way that I am so thankful for. I LOVE YOU JEN!

Most difficult day...

2005-05-15T21:37:00.000-04:00

Most difficult day...
There is a chain that hangs around my neck with a cross at the end of it that I’ve worn since last Christmas. It was a gift from my oldest younger brother, Daniel, as our family met for one last holiday before Daniel spent 18 months in Iraq—not knowing if we would get the chance to see him again before he left May 2005. We all cried as we laid hands on him, dedicating his life thru service to the Lord and to the utmost of His glory. What a difficult day.

Mid March I had the opportunity to leave one Saturday afternoon to Fort Stewart, Georgia, to visit with Daniel until the next afternoon when I had to head back home (a 7 hour trip one way). The trip was fast and our time was short, but it was sweet and good. I didn’t know if I would see him again before he left so we said good-bye again as if it would be the last time we got to speak to each other face to face. What a difficult day.

Last weekend Daniel got an 11 day leave after training in California and before he was to fly out so he came up to Virginia to spend 5 days with the family. We spent time around the dinner table, all of us but my eldest sister Anna, held back by work. Mom, Dad, the boys and me, reminiscing about days past and their highlights. We all went to a local theme park one day, at Kings Dominion, and rode everything we could…even my parents which was weird! But great! (For those still in disbelief, I have pictures!!!) Mother’s Day we went to my parent’s church, had lunch at a restaurant afterwards, then said our good-byes in the parking lot. Pictures were taken of our family that I will forever cherish. Daniel and I are very close, and after he said bye to my family, hugging each one, and they left for home. We had the chance to look each other once more in the face and tell each other that we loved each other very much, and reminded each other of how much we mean in the other’s life. Tears again accompanied the thought that this might be his face in time that I remember for the rest of my life because I might not ever again have the chance to see him smile. God will do what He may, and thru it all He carries us thru, difficult or triumphant. What a difficult day.

Today Daniel left for Iraq. He just called me to tell me that he’d just gotten off the phone with mom, dad and the boys, and that saying good-bye shouldn’t be this hard. We shared sweet words of encouragement and love, both beginning to cry in the midst of our sentences, thanking God for the blessing of the life of each other. I told him he’s my hero: something he’s said of me for years. (I sit crying deeply, not even knowing what to say) “How much pain can you feel for love?” asks Daniel. http://www.spcellyson.blog.com This was the most difficult day.

Steak thru a straw...meat on a stick

2005-05-01T17:30:00.000-04:00

Last night I ate the best steak I've ever eaten...medium rare...PERFECT TENDER JUICY! I joined my roomie, her rents down from PA, her 'friend', classmates of hers and so on. It was fun but a looooooooooooong time waiting. We met together at a popular steakhouse chain and waited and waited. I think around the 1 hour mark we decided to bounce to a local place one of us knew about and we didn't get seated there until 2 hours after we'd met together!! WAY!

Then about 30 min. after that we got our food. 2.5 hours for the best steak I've ever put behind my lips...unbelievable. I never knew it could be so good. Rice, who cares. The little dinner salad from the bar, no good. The crackers that kept me sane while waiting, good enough. But the filet...wow. Could have drank it thru a straw.

A couple nights ago I accepted an invite from the same roomie and her 'friend' to get Chinese at a buffet just down the road. YUCKY! I like to try new things and I've started saying that my favorite restaurant is one that I've never been to. Well, this isn't my favorite. Upon my plate were things I've never seen before and meat that probably shouldn't be served on a stick but it was and I ate it. MISTAKE #1. The sign above this bin said 'Chicken on Stick' but I didn't look, taste, feel, smell, perform, like any chicken Iv'e known. Cat...maybe, squirrel...most likely. Then to home-style round-cut thin poison fries...yea, I put it in my mouth. But it stayed in there for 2.6 seconds before it was launched into the napkin held in my left-handed death grip! The boiled eggs were even off too, now tell me how can you mess those up. You put them straight into WATER (fool proof) and boil them (fool proof) until the inside doesn't jiggle as much (fool proof) then you peal them (fool proof) then cut them in half (for the last time FOOL PROOF). But they messed em' up some how.

Maybe I should look at the cooks in respect and not discussedness.

2005-04-29T02:05:00.000-04:00

One of my bestest friends, Becky, LOVES red heads, and this one served us lunch across the street from St. Andrews school where Prince William attends college...Scotland grows them the best. I took this picture with her in mind! Love ya girl!

2005-04-29T01:19:00.000-04:00

My wonderful friend Joey taught me how to whistle with fingers in my mouth, my fingers...! And I'd been working on it for a while, but I'm sure during the trip I would have made more friends if I hadn't have been working so hard at getting this right. You could barely hear any sound before, but it's pretty loud now....like I needed any help with being heard! It's fun though. I am standing in the court yard of the same ruins where the picture of the empty bench was taken. B-E-A-U-tiful place!

2005-04-29T01:12:00.000-04:00

Unused church in down town london...I entered this pic and 8 others, including the others from this trip on this site now, but this one got me a Third Place Ribbon in an art show at college!

2005-04-29T01:10:00.000-04:00

St. Andrews, Scotland, went there for school this past spring break... AWESOME trip, these are castle ruins by the North Sea

2005-04-29T01:08:00.000-04:00

This is a city in Scotland in it's darkness, and I mean that in two ways

Trees for private thoughts...

2005-04-28T02:53:00.000-04:00

There are some occurrences in life—I think—that need to be shared for common interest's sake (online blog or IM, for instance). A sense that others go through the same life lessons we must endure is comforting. It keeps us all understanding that we indeed are still on planet earth and have plenty of company to satisfy our companionship requirements. Renders of these occurrences can be written in a humorous way for a source of entertainment even. A great choice if one chooses that route!

But there are bumps in life that need smoothing over in private (in person or handwritten in a journal, for instance) because content could prove to be embarrassing to one or both parties. I hope to never cross that line. Comment boxes are provided for that very purpose.

2005-04-27T01:07:00.000-04:00

Dinner with great friends at a Masquerade Ball

Starting again

2005-04-26T00:38:00.000-04:00

There are things in my life that have brought me back to the place where I'm reminded of blogging, so this will be something I’ll update more often.

Circumstances created by physical space make it problematic for friends and family to be able to check up on how things are going in my life, especially my oldest younger brother who is going to serve our country in Iraq as an MP. Bro, this is for you.

I know what you're thinkin'...

2004-10-09T14:29:00.000-04:00

After reading through my blogs, you might be thinking, "Man, this girl is a feminist!" This is not so. I am not saying "Women can do everything better than a man" or "Women should be treated the same as men" or something along those lines. The bottom line is this...

We should be treated differently because we are different. Men and women are wired in different ways and so that calls for different action on both parts. But that doesn’t mean unfair action. We are both valuable and have certain tasks that the other sex cannot perform as well. 'Team' is the correct term when it comes to relationships.

I don’t think one sex is better than the other. I don’t think women are The Crap and therefore should be worshiped above all others. We are the weaker sex, but men have to be careful with that. What does that mean? Does it mean that we are weaker in certain areas and not others, or does it mean we are weaker in every aspect?

Women need to be protected and provided for, and men are naturally good at that. Those who abuse women are not included in this generalized statement. Women generally don’t mind taking care of things that support what a male is involved with. That fits the mans needs. It drives a man to great depths knowing that the woman he loves supports and cheers him on in his endeavors. For a womaon to be a man's playmate, one with whom he can run and jump and play around with, is high on his list of needs. Girls gotta know this.

When the rubber meets the...

2004-10-07T00:25:00.000-04:00

During most kids high school years the idea that girls who 'got around' being thought of as trashier than the boys who were into the same behavior was culturally understood. As I'm finishing college, it seems that the system hasn't changed, but has it? Is it just me or has something changed in the way we divide blame?

While walking with a good friend of mine through the computer lab on campus the other night I passed a couple sitting on a couch close together, looking over school material. My friend said to me (while maintaining eye contact with the gentleman in reference, ‘Whore.’ I thought "What in the world has gone on between these two?" She explained that she and this dude had made-out the other week and now he was with some other chick. Hmmm...

Another reference. During a conversation with a girlfriend of mine, a guy she knew walked passed us and she felt inclined to tell me, "Stay away from that guy, he’s dirty." Is this all new or is something around here changing?

Back in the day the guys who were ‘experienced’ were the guys that all the girls wanted to get with. And all the girls who had ‘experience’ were the ones that guys wanted to stay away from. It doesn’t seem to me that that form of doctrine is followed anymore. I sure hope not. I kinda wanna hear that guys are being held to some type of standard.

So hearing ‘Man Whore’ makes me smile…so what?!

A very stupid thing...

2004-10-04T18:21:00.000-04:00

Going back to the subject of where people get their ideas from; I touched on my hunch that Disney movies kids grew up on hasn't helped them with the blow of reality.

CHARACTER EXAMINATION:
Ariel, the Little Mermaid: wants to have greater things and ends up with a stupid prince, who “loved whoever had that ‘voice,’” no matter how wonderful Ariel was. For this she gives up her world, her family, her fins. This we will call stupid devotion.

Belle in Beauty and the Beast also wants greater things and ends up with a rotten (oh, maybe he’ll change…) prince who at first worked on being nice to her only to break his curse. For this she gave up her plans and dreams of journeying in the world. Again, same diagnosis. Stupid.

Lastly, Aladdin: the princess in this story also gives up her dreams of venturing into the world, independently when her beggar-turned-prince takes her on a magic carpet ride. He fact that he is going to “show her the world” when he’s never seen it himself is null and void.

If you’re thinking these ‘fair tales’ do not apply to real life, think again! You have to keep in mind that billions of girls and boys who see these films are going to grow up believing this romantic nonsense and dreaming dreams that most likely turn into nightmares.

Who told you?

2004-10-02T11:20:00.000-04:00

At some point in time you had to figure out what you thought about the opposite sex, but where did your idea come from? If you’re older then your parents and school teachers had a big part in shaping your perception. If you are under 30 then culture, media and your friends are to blame. I have a theory that kids who grow up on Disney movies and other obscenely unrealistic entertainment have an exceptionally hard time understanding that the creators of Disney don’t pipe ideas and conversations into your head while you are trying to live in the real world. You make habit the idea that life is beautifully scripted and that you always say the funniest, most clever thing anyone can think of. NOT so. Relating with the opposite sex isn’t easy either. You can’t make some sarcastic hurtful thing to someone and think it will roll off their back like life in sitcoms display. It’s NOT real. Knowing someone so different from you takes continuous hard work, home work and an open mind. Also having the understanding that you will always be surprised, disgusted and sometimes disappointed about the things that you discover, will again take you to that mutual place of…differentiation.

Here we go again!

2004-10-01T00:19:00.000-04:00

Again, must I stand up for my capabilities? I don’t take the stand point I have because I think women should rule the world: men are doing fine with the positions they already hold and I don’t think much would be improved if a woman took their place. My sole purpose is to communicate to whomever I talk to that women do have qualities to be praised and they can handle some things that guys can’t. Case in point:

Yesterday, while at my retail job I stopped to talk with a man who was refilling our Pepsi cooler about he and his wife’s responsibilities with two jobs and how they juggle those and two small kids. I work with his wife at my property management job, as she holds a part time position after she forfeited her management position to have her youngest child. “I need her income, so we are trying to find out how to work her into that job again without leaving me to take my days off to watch the kids. It’s hard.” “What’s hard about it?” He answered, “Well, [Sarah] is a mommies girl and so mommy always has to be there or else I can’t get anywhere with her. [John] is still very young so he wants his mommy too.” Yea, it's hard, huh?!

Men and Women: Different But Good

2004-09-30T00:16:00.000-04:00

As I sit and think of what I should base my first blog on I reflect on what conversation topics get me most fired up: the differences of men and women. That does it for me more times than not. I currently attend a private university where the boys in upper level philosophy and logic classes are sometimes taught that females are not as logical as males are, not as proficient in top managing positions and the like. As that may be true, the tone in which this information is shared is what’s offensive. I don’t mind understanding and admitting that men and women are different: that makes the sexes work well together.

My problem is when guys continually think they are better in every way and that girls possess only a small realm of ‘goodness.’ “Just as long as you stay either in the kitchen or the bedroom, you’re good” my friend said joking with me one time. That got me goin’. =)

My argument is this: guys, don’t think that by putting women down that you are lifting yourself up. There are wonderful aspects to women that are to be praised and cherished. Some of the greatest debaters, writers, and leaders are men; I recognize this. I am an honest person and I tell myself the truth. But that doesn’t mean that women can’t debate and win: that they can’t write and be a bestseller: or that they have no leadership qualities. I don’t like feeling like all I’m good for is a set of ovaries.

Welcome to my Best Shot!

2004-09-29T00:11:00.000-04:00

Ok, so this is new to me. BLOGGING...huh. Some people use their AIM profile and away messages to let those close to them know how they are doing. Some already have websites that they update and if you’re old-school then you still write newsletters and...mail them. But if you’re really up-to-speed then you know how to blog.
When I tell my friends that I started a blog, some of them say, “Oh, that’s awesome. Cool” while some stare waiting for me to explain myself. I have been somewhat surprised at how many people don’t know what it is. But you do, and that’s all that matters. Thanks for reading my virgin blog.