Next bestselling book methinks...
1. Count money
2. Vacuum
3. Dust computer keyboard
4. Google blond jokes
5. Practice your phone answering voice
6. Straighten all the bills. Rubbing them against a counter edge is effective.
7. Google random, useless facts
8. Balance your checkbook
9. Count how many days until your birthday
10. Dust
11. Antibacterial wipe the crap out of everything
12. Blog about ways to pass time at work
13. File paperwork
14. Rummage through drawers and find out where backup supplies are kept
15. Photocopy your face
16. Take out the garbage
17. Look up recipes online
18. Do stretches
19. Read all of those really long work e-mails that don't really pertain to you
20. Google important work-related facts and terms
21. Practice making yourself look dignified while yawning
22. Try to guess the exact temperature outside and then check your answers on Weather.com. Do the same thing with tomorrow's forecast.
23. Figure out your wage per minute
24. Test the ink in all the pens
25. Smell everything! Never know what kinds of fascinating new smells you'll discover.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Metamorphosis
I have a thought in my head that I can't get rid of. It might be that in the face of my life's most recent events, it's something that's been weighing heavily on my mind, who knows. But writing always gives me a great opportunity to sort out my thoughts, analyze them, and then recreate them if they don't make sense.
That said, what follows is a pretty big revelation to ME, but it might seem like common sense for most others. If you're one of those most people, pardon my ignorance. I was homeschooled.
Breakups suck. They feel almost as though someone split your skull and then continued ripping you in half from the top down, and then threw away one of the halves when they were finished. It just makes you feel all awkward and off balance. Like you only have one hand to do the work that two usually does. Amiright?
They suck, and being a person who's had to go through what I believe is far more than what my share of breakups should be (that's not a cry for pity, trust me), I'm in the process of trying to come up with a way to make them suck less. Not only would it benefit me, I could be like the woman who found the cure for....relational cancer.
However, I don't actually think I can come up with a way to make them completely absent of any suckiness whatsoever, because if that were the case, I don't think the breakup would actually exist. Like in a perfect, sucky-less world, there would be no breakups, everyone would be with their one and only other half, and they'd all be happy. And the fact that a breakup would break up that perfect little idealistic existence would just make it suck. I'm ranting!
BREAKUPS SUCK!!!!
But it was at this train of thought as I was laying on my back on my living room floor that I realized that they shouldn't suck so much. Like, why is it that they're so fearfully dreaded? I feel like they're almost equated to having one's Mom die, which is just suckiness epitomized. What I realized (after I realized that they shouldn't suck so much) is that almost always (I apologize to the exceptions out there) do they open up a door for something so much better to happen, that couldn't have happened had the breakup NOT happened, you get what I'm saying? It's like the caterpillar to butterfly metamorphosis process... remember when you were a kid and you nabbed caterpillars and put the poor souls in a glass jar on your kitchen counter? You watch that pretty little caterpillar for a while until one day it's like "OMG WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PRETTY CATERPILLAR, he's all wrinkly and brown now and all wrapped up in that nasty sack and ...gross he just looks like poop!" (well at least that was my reaction). But I know at least I, as a child, liked the pretty orange and black butterflies even more than I liked the striped yellow caterpillars, and so all ended well and I wasn't upset for too long. Moral of the story, Sir Butterfly had to look like poop for a while before he could look better, which is what I feel my love like looks like. It goes through definite stages of poop, but each time it does, it takes a tiny step toward something better.
So you know when you were little and you started realizing that this is what always happens with cocoons, and then you started getting excited for the nasty wrinkly little sack to appear? Well, I'm not saying we should get excited for breakups because if I did, I'd get boo-ed offstage. What I'm saying is there should be at least a glimmer of hope as we fight our way through the breakup and start looking for the butterfly.
That's all.
That said, what follows is a pretty big revelation to ME, but it might seem like common sense for most others. If you're one of those most people, pardon my ignorance. I was homeschooled.
Breakups suck. They feel almost as though someone split your skull and then continued ripping you in half from the top down, and then threw away one of the halves when they were finished. It just makes you feel all awkward and off balance. Like you only have one hand to do the work that two usually does. Amiright?
They suck, and being a person who's had to go through what I believe is far more than what my share of breakups should be (that's not a cry for pity, trust me), I'm in the process of trying to come up with a way to make them suck less. Not only would it benefit me, I could be like the woman who found the cure for....relational cancer.
However, I don't actually think I can come up with a way to make them completely absent of any suckiness whatsoever, because if that were the case, I don't think the breakup would actually exist. Like in a perfect, sucky-less world, there would be no breakups, everyone would be with their one and only other half, and they'd all be happy. And the fact that a breakup would break up that perfect little idealistic existence would just make it suck. I'm ranting!
BREAKUPS SUCK!!!!
But it was at this train of thought as I was laying on my back on my living room floor that I realized that they shouldn't suck so much. Like, why is it that they're so fearfully dreaded? I feel like they're almost equated to having one's Mom die, which is just suckiness epitomized. What I realized (after I realized that they shouldn't suck so much) is that almost always (I apologize to the exceptions out there) do they open up a door for something so much better to happen, that couldn't have happened had the breakup NOT happened, you get what I'm saying? It's like the caterpillar to butterfly metamorphosis process... remember when you were a kid and you nabbed caterpillars and put the poor souls in a glass jar on your kitchen counter? You watch that pretty little caterpillar for a while until one day it's like "OMG WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PRETTY CATERPILLAR, he's all wrinkly and brown now and all wrapped up in that nasty sack and ...gross he just looks like poop!" (well at least that was my reaction). But I know at least I, as a child, liked the pretty orange and black butterflies even more than I liked the striped yellow caterpillars, and so all ended well and I wasn't upset for too long. Moral of the story, Sir Butterfly had to look like poop for a while before he could look better, which is what I feel my love like looks like. It goes through definite stages of poop, but each time it does, it takes a tiny step toward something better.
So you know when you were little and you started realizing that this is what always happens with cocoons, and then you started getting excited for the nasty wrinkly little sack to appear? Well, I'm not saying we should get excited for breakups because if I did, I'd get boo-ed offstage. What I'm saying is there should be at least a glimmer of hope as we fight our way through the breakup and start looking for the butterfly.
That's all.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Listening
Read this article for a class and pulled out a few snippets…it’s called “The Art of Listening” by Brenda Ueland.
“Who are the people, for example, to whom you go for advice? not to the hard, practical ones who can tell you exactly what to do, but to the listeners; that is, the kindest, least censorius, least bossy people you know. It is because by pouring out your problem to them, you then know what to do about it yourself…
…we should all know this: that listening, not talking, is the gifted and great role, and the imaginative role. And the true listener is much more beloved, magnetic than the talker, and he is more effective and learns more and does more good. And so try listening. Listen to your wife, your husband, your father, your mother, your children, your friends; to those who love you and those who don’t, to those who bore you, to your enemies. It will work a small miracle. And perhaps a great one”
“Who are the people, for example, to whom you go for advice? not to the hard, practical ones who can tell you exactly what to do, but to the listeners; that is, the kindest, least censorius, least bossy people you know. It is because by pouring out your problem to them, you then know what to do about it yourself…
…we should all know this: that listening, not talking, is the gifted and great role, and the imaginative role. And the true listener is much more beloved, magnetic than the talker, and he is more effective and learns more and does more good. And so try listening. Listen to your wife, your husband, your father, your mother, your children, your friends; to those who love you and those who don’t, to those who bore you, to your enemies. It will work a small miracle. And perhaps a great one”
Monday, September 26, 2011
Savor the moment
Yesterday I was mid late-night blogpost when I got fed up with my train of thought and erased it all. In case you were wondering, I was writing about the bummers of being single and the struggle to keep a positive attitute about it, but mostly in specific situations. As I was writing, it occurred to me that I don't know anyone who's in a relationship who blogs.
That's probably still true.
But regardless, I've had a dramatic switch in focus since last night, and I'll continue to blog away about it.
I'm currently reading (or taking a break from reading, while the thought is still in my head) an article for my Comm class about how to be happy. It's not that I'm struggling with happiness and deseperate to find a way to pull myself out of a rut, because I'm not...but nevertheless I was pleasantly intrigued by the contents of the article. It reads, "research now suggests that 40 percent of our happiness might stem from intentional activities in which we choose to engage". My first thought was, "I bet one of those activities isn't blogging about one's unhappiness..." The article goes on to say, "...in trying to explain which activities might actually help us cultivate happiness, positive psychology keeps returning to the same concept: gratitude."
The rest of the article follows the story of a woman trying to apply the theory to her own life, first by keeping a list of all the sings she was grateful for, no matter how insignificant; second, by recording all the good moments in her day; and third, by savoring the moment whenever possible.
That last one was my favorite and I think it's so pertinent to how we develop a state of mind on a daily basis, because when we savor the moment, we're not only taking in something that might have otherwise slipped by, but we're killing two birds with one stone and being grateful for a really good thing that's right in front of our eyes.
Ever crawl your exhausted self into bed and lay there for a moment, reveling in just how good it feels? I definitely had one of those moments this morning. I savored it.
Ever spend so much time in one place and with certain people and never realize how special it is until life throws you somewhere else, and all you want to do is go back and relive a few of those moments? I'm currently sitting in the computer lab at my school and I took a moment to stop and appreciate, and I was overwhelmed by the blessing of being here. I know that 5 years from now I would give anything just to be able to sit and multi-task here, and I'll never really get this time back.
Ever go outside and do homework on a sunny day, but never really get time to chill for a minute, watch the sun flicker between the leaves, smell the smell of nature, etc, etc.?
You get the idea. Try it, it's nice.
That's probably still true.
But regardless, I've had a dramatic switch in focus since last night, and I'll continue to blog away about it.
I'm currently reading (or taking a break from reading, while the thought is still in my head) an article for my Comm class about how to be happy. It's not that I'm struggling with happiness and deseperate to find a way to pull myself out of a rut, because I'm not...but nevertheless I was pleasantly intrigued by the contents of the article. It reads, "research now suggests that 40 percent of our happiness might stem from intentional activities in which we choose to engage". My first thought was, "I bet one of those activities isn't blogging about one's unhappiness..." The article goes on to say, "...in trying to explain which activities might actually help us cultivate happiness, positive psychology keeps returning to the same concept: gratitude."
The rest of the article follows the story of a woman trying to apply the theory to her own life, first by keeping a list of all the sings she was grateful for, no matter how insignificant; second, by recording all the good moments in her day; and third, by savoring the moment whenever possible.
That last one was my favorite and I think it's so pertinent to how we develop a state of mind on a daily basis, because when we savor the moment, we're not only taking in something that might have otherwise slipped by, but we're killing two birds with one stone and being grateful for a really good thing that's right in front of our eyes.
Ever crawl your exhausted self into bed and lay there for a moment, reveling in just how good it feels? I definitely had one of those moments this morning. I savored it.
Ever spend so much time in one place and with certain people and never realize how special it is until life throws you somewhere else, and all you want to do is go back and relive a few of those moments? I'm currently sitting in the computer lab at my school and I took a moment to stop and appreciate, and I was overwhelmed by the blessing of being here. I know that 5 years from now I would give anything just to be able to sit and multi-task here, and I'll never really get this time back.
Ever go outside and do homework on a sunny day, but never really get time to chill for a minute, watch the sun flicker between the leaves, smell the smell of nature, etc, etc.?
You get the idea. Try it, it's nice.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Life gave me lemons.
"In the midst of winter I found there was, within me, an invincible summer"
Lately my circumstances have suggested that I'm not where I should be. That I'm doing something wrong or missing something because nothing seems to be turning out right. I've been so intensely focused on the subject of caring lately because I feel like those who did care turn out to be those who don't really...at all. Whether that's true or not isn't the point.
I think sometimes God brings you to low points just so that He can prove to you that He's capable of bringing you out of them. I have never felt so low since I can remember, but I also didn't realize until now that I have everything in my reach to feel so incredibly high. God is great. And I am so blessed!
I don't think I've ever really been able to see and appreciate the true friends I have and the people who care about me more than I understand. I think for a lot of my life, I've been looking for a best friend and in the process, missing all the ones that I've collected over the years. It's kind of like that one story, about a man hanging on to a rock for dear life in the middle of a river - as boat after boat rows by, he yells out, "No! I asked for God to save me, and He will!" Well, it goes something like that.
The point is, I have a God who loves me incomprehensibly, a family that would kill to make me happy (not literally), and some amazing friends who, I think, would do anything for me. ... Mmmm. I'm so overwhelmed.
In addition to all this, I've also been thinking about happiness recently. You know how you'll pass some people and you can just tell they're happy by the outward glow they radiate? You know that person had a great day, and they're ecstatic about it. I started wondering why I haven't had a day that would cause me to look the same way. Not that I'm unhappy, because I'm definitely not unhappy, but I would classify myself as being content, on a very level plane of emotion or state of being. Which is great! But at the same time, I was unhappy at my lack of...ecstatic moments, if you will.
But I dunno. As I was sitting in my friend's room tonight, I realized that my life is full of happy moments, the kind that literally make me hurt inside if I don't outwardly smile. Moments like...good conversations with a good friend, satisfactory artistic creations, listening to those songs with a bass-thundering beat and not being able to keep yourself from dancing, running and sliding on your socks in the kitchen floor, laying in the grass on a perfect summer day and knowing you can just enjoy watching the sky for a few minutes....the list could literally go on well into the night (and I'm already pushing 2 am here).
I guess....sadness is OK...for a while. But it's useless to let the rough patches deprive you of living in the blessings you've been given.
If something is making you unhappy...throw it away! Get rid of it! Chances are there are plenty of other things in your life that can take its place.
Mandy-Pies
Lately my circumstances have suggested that I'm not where I should be. That I'm doing something wrong or missing something because nothing seems to be turning out right. I've been so intensely focused on the subject of caring lately because I feel like those who did care turn out to be those who don't really...at all. Whether that's true or not isn't the point.
I think sometimes God brings you to low points just so that He can prove to you that He's capable of bringing you out of them. I have never felt so low since I can remember, but I also didn't realize until now that I have everything in my reach to feel so incredibly high. God is great. And I am so blessed!
I don't think I've ever really been able to see and appreciate the true friends I have and the people who care about me more than I understand. I think for a lot of my life, I've been looking for a best friend and in the process, missing all the ones that I've collected over the years. It's kind of like that one story, about a man hanging on to a rock for dear life in the middle of a river - as boat after boat rows by, he yells out, "No! I asked for God to save me, and He will!" Well, it goes something like that.
The point is, I have a God who loves me incomprehensibly, a family that would kill to make me happy (not literally), and some amazing friends who, I think, would do anything for me. ... Mmmm. I'm so overwhelmed.
In addition to all this, I've also been thinking about happiness recently. You know how you'll pass some people and you can just tell they're happy by the outward glow they radiate? You know that person had a great day, and they're ecstatic about it. I started wondering why I haven't had a day that would cause me to look the same way. Not that I'm unhappy, because I'm definitely not unhappy, but I would classify myself as being content, on a very level plane of emotion or state of being. Which is great! But at the same time, I was unhappy at my lack of...ecstatic moments, if you will.
But I dunno. As I was sitting in my friend's room tonight, I realized that my life is full of happy moments, the kind that literally make me hurt inside if I don't outwardly smile. Moments like...good conversations with a good friend, satisfactory artistic creations, listening to those songs with a bass-thundering beat and not being able to keep yourself from dancing, running and sliding on your socks in the kitchen floor, laying in the grass on a perfect summer day and knowing you can just enjoy watching the sky for a few minutes....the list could literally go on well into the night (and I'm already pushing 2 am here).
I guess....sadness is OK...for a while. But it's useless to let the rough patches deprive you of living in the blessings you've been given.
If something is making you unhappy...throw it away! Get rid of it! Chances are there are plenty of other things in your life that can take its place.
Mandy-Pies
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Surprise Quote
“It’s funny how, even long after you’ve accepted the grief of losing someone you love and truly have gotten on with your life, every once in a while something comes up that plays “gotcha,” and for a moment or two, the scar tissue separates and the wound is raw again.” - Mary Higgins Clark, The Second Time Around
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Not raw, but medium rare
Here's a seemingly simple question: how do you go about treating someone you care about?
Recently I started asking myself if I knew which of my friends truly cared about me, not because I'm paranoid about my relationships and have a hard time trusting people, but because I believe that there are some people in every person's life who are temporary, and won't be there with you through thick and thin. It's inevitable because of the amount of people each of us are aqcuainted with, and I know I have friends that I also care very little about. Come on, it's simply selective perception, and I know too many people to have to worry about all of them.
So which ones are the keepers? Does it even matter?
Maybe it doesn't benefit anyone to know which friends are the good ones and which are the "duds", but it matters to me because it's important for me to know how to treat the people I care about, so that the people I love know I'm sticking around.
...Ok, basically, I'm just tired of wondering if people mean it when they say they care about you, or if it's just a conditioned response, because when they mean it, it's safe to let your guard drop, and when they don't, it's a risk.
So how do you treat people you care about?
-Mandie Pies
Recently I started asking myself if I knew which of my friends truly cared about me, not because I'm paranoid about my relationships and have a hard time trusting people, but because I believe that there are some people in every person's life who are temporary, and won't be there with you through thick and thin. It's inevitable because of the amount of people each of us are aqcuainted with, and I know I have friends that I also care very little about. Come on, it's simply selective perception, and I know too many people to have to worry about all of them.
So which ones are the keepers? Does it even matter?
Maybe it doesn't benefit anyone to know which friends are the good ones and which are the "duds", but it matters to me because it's important for me to know how to treat the people I care about, so that the people I love know I'm sticking around.
...Ok, basically, I'm just tired of wondering if people mean it when they say they care about you, or if it's just a conditioned response, because when they mean it, it's safe to let your guard drop, and when they don't, it's a risk.
So how do you treat people you care about?
-Mandie Pies
Thursday, August 11, 2011
One.
The following post is incredibly raw and honest and maybe even a little too outspoken for me, but it comes from the bottom of my heart and deepest conviction. I've found that the topics that people shy away from are the ones that are the most important, so here I am, throwing out my thoughts in the open to be tossed around, analyzed, chewed on, or....torn apart. I'd like feedback, whether you agree or not. This is something I've been thinking about and talking to God about for a while, but please inform me if you think it falls short.
Genesis 2:24
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.
It's interesting that the phrase "one flesh" is used. The term, as I understand it, is not referring to a man and a woman enduring an hour-long church ceremony, moving into the same house together, or signing a document swearing their loyalty to one another. When God meant for a man and a woman to be together, he wanted them to become one flesh. God made the male and female so that when two of them make love, their bodies are entwined so beautifully and perfectly. It is the literal execution of becoming "one flesh" because at that moment, each person is no longer acting on their own, but moving together as one being.
Therefore, it's in that moment when the two of them become one flesh that, in God's eyes, a man and a woman are married. God didn't have Adam and Eve stand before a judge or a minister and declare vows, He didn't have them give each other rings. He had them give each other their bodies, so that they might become two in one; two teammates joined to form one team and two bodies joined to form one being.
I think it's hard today to find reason to remain pure until marriage. I have to be completely honest, I struggle with it myself because I haven't taken the time to understand why I made that commitment and when there's no conviction behind an action, it's not hard for that action to become meaningless.
So I looked into it. Bluntly, when God married Adam and Eve, one of the first things they did was have sex. They belonged to each other! No other ceremonies or documents necessary to seal the deal. I believe this is how God wants marriage to work. Humans felt the need to create a tangible representation of the procedure, one that everyone can celebrate, but in God's eyes, I believe two people belong to each other, body and soul, when they make love for the first time.
If that's the case, then every time you have sex with someone outside of marriage, you run the risk of not marrying them, and every time that happens, it's like getting a miniature divorce. And this makes sense when you think of all the emotional pain involved and caused by carefree sex. God didn't create sex to be a purely physical pleasure...it's an emotional one too. It's a form of attachment, and anyone who argues that it doesn't affect them emotionally has done it enough to completely numb the feeling. I recently watched the movie Friend With Benefits. As the title suggests, it's a movie about two friends who attempt to strike up a sexual contract in which they agree to remain emotionally unattached while sleeping together. As you can probably predict, that particular situation doesn't work out so well and they fall in love. There was another movie like this recently too! Umm....No Strings Attached? Even Hollywood knows that sex without emotional ties does not work.
Since the day I turned 16, I've been wearing a purity ring on my left hand ring finger and since it's been such a long time, it has turned into one of those things that's so commonplace that you forget to stop and notice it. I must confess that at times I've even acknowledged the ring on my finger and continued to make decisions that are contrary to what it stands for. My willfull blind eye, however, has not stopped others from noticing and I've been asked about it more than a few times. As a personal subject that not many people want to breach, I can easily get away with "it's a purity ring" and dropping the subject. It's actually quite the conversation killer...
The question eats at my own conscience though. I'm not a person to do any ritual kind of action if I can't give a reasonable explanation to anyone who asks, and when it's a moral action, "because I feel like it" just doesn't cut it. I want to be able to support my decisions based on logic and based on what I believe. When people asked me about my ring, I found myself opening my mouth to explain why it is I wear it, only to realize I didn't have anything to say (helloooo, awkward silence).
I feel like now I have something to say. I wear my purity ring because I believe God created sex as the final marriage ceremony; the final step in creating a perfect unity. After the glamour, the glitz, the vows, the service, and the rings, I want to marry my husband, ecstatically, passionately, emotionally, and foolishly, and for the very first time.
MandyPies
Thanks be to you all
Well here I am. A bored and tired full-time employee drifting to blogspot.com for lack of a better thing to do. The phones have been answered, the customers helped, the deposits deposited.
I think I end up here so often because I feel like I have so much to say, but instead, when I get here, I'm immediately distracted by reading my friends' posts. They're so interesting! I love mulling them over, responding, arguing, and agreeing, and when I'm done, I realize once again that I have nothing really to say haha. I'm slightly intimidated by the magnitute and thoughtfulness of most of these posts, and I spend my limited amount of intellect just absorbing them. Kudos, fellow bloggers, kudos.
But good grief, I just don't have the time anymore to think! My schedule is as predictable as the rising and setting of the sun. Wake up, go to work, come home, eat, photo stuff, sleep....rinse and repeat.
....so I had planned on arriving somewhere more thoughtful at the end of this post, but not right now. I'll save it for later, and mark my words, something is coming. Something earth-shaking!
Moral of THIS story, I do quite enjoy my friends' blogs, so keep 'em coming!
I think I end up here so often because I feel like I have so much to say, but instead, when I get here, I'm immediately distracted by reading my friends' posts. They're so interesting! I love mulling them over, responding, arguing, and agreeing, and when I'm done, I realize once again that I have nothing really to say haha. I'm slightly intimidated by the magnitute and thoughtfulness of most of these posts, and I spend my limited amount of intellect just absorbing them. Kudos, fellow bloggers, kudos.
But good grief, I just don't have the time anymore to think! My schedule is as predictable as the rising and setting of the sun. Wake up, go to work, come home, eat, photo stuff, sleep....rinse and repeat.
....so I had planned on arriving somewhere more thoughtful at the end of this post, but not right now. I'll save it for later, and mark my words, something is coming. Something earth-shaking!
Moral of THIS story, I do quite enjoy my friends' blogs, so keep 'em coming!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Of the Sky Above
God sure does a great job of reminding us how incredible He is.
As I sit here and look at these pictures, I realize what a great passion and gift I've been given. I'm so thankful that I have a desire to pursue and capture the beautiful things in life. There are so many different paths for a life to follow and I have come to believe that I'm one of the lucky ones, being given a life and a job pursuit as awesome as the one I have. I think that may be a sign that I'm doing what I love.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
...and reward
Ok. I'm on a thought roll here.
Being faced with some of my most recent challenges has brought to my attention how incredibly blessed I am in several ways.
1. My latest stress-inducing job has made me incredibly thankful for my other job, which is extremely low-stress and well-paying, as well as allowing me to work with pleasant, easy-going coworkers who treat me like equals, and allowing me to work for the best boss in the ENTIRE world, who also happens to be my father.
2. Above-mentioned job has also made me incredibly grateful for days off and weekends! People often tire quickly during the work week, but thank God that most of the time we have weekends!
3. I'm thankful that I have two part-time jobs, allowing me to work full-time and make the money I need to make during the summer. I'm thankful for the opportunity God presented me with when I WAS short on money and looking for a job.
4. Also, grateful for challenges, as I'm already growing and learning as a result. People don't say challenges are good for you just to make you feel better. They actually are...
5. I'm thankful for the incredible combination of genes and upbringing that have given me the intelligence and physical capabilities to perform well at almost any job that I'm given. I've come to realize that I'm very well prepared to face present and future tasks, unless that task happens to be golfing, in which case I am extremely unprepared.
6. I'm thankful for not just one or two close friends I can lean on in the midst of my troubles, but numerous friends and a family that has and always will be there to support me and call my 'enemies' all sorts of bad names to make me feel better. And to tell me to buck up and quit whining when I need it.
7. Finally, I'm thankful that the God of the universe is on my team. No challenge is too difficult, no problem too overwhelming for Him to solve.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
(Thanks Eric!)
Ok, that's all.
Mandy-Pies
Being faced with some of my most recent challenges has brought to my attention how incredibly blessed I am in several ways.
1. My latest stress-inducing job has made me incredibly thankful for my other job, which is extremely low-stress and well-paying, as well as allowing me to work with pleasant, easy-going coworkers who treat me like equals, and allowing me to work for the best boss in the ENTIRE world, who also happens to be my father.
2. Above-mentioned job has also made me incredibly grateful for days off and weekends! People often tire quickly during the work week, but thank God that most of the time we have weekends!
3. I'm thankful that I have two part-time jobs, allowing me to work full-time and make the money I need to make during the summer. I'm thankful for the opportunity God presented me with when I WAS short on money and looking for a job.
4. Also, grateful for challenges, as I'm already growing and learning as a result. People don't say challenges are good for you just to make you feel better. They actually are...
5. I'm thankful for the incredible combination of genes and upbringing that have given me the intelligence and physical capabilities to perform well at almost any job that I'm given. I've come to realize that I'm very well prepared to face present and future tasks, unless that task happens to be golfing, in which case I am extremely unprepared.
6. I'm thankful for not just one or two close friends I can lean on in the midst of my troubles, but numerous friends and a family that has and always will be there to support me and call my 'enemies' all sorts of bad names to make me feel better. And to tell me to buck up and quit whining when I need it.
7. Finally, I'm thankful that the God of the universe is on my team. No challenge is too difficult, no problem too overwhelming for Him to solve.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
(Thanks Eric!)
Ok, that's all.
Mandy-Pies
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Work.
I'm in a little bit better mood now. Two things: for every bad day, there's a good day to counter it and when something bad happens, no one has a right to ask, "why did this happen to me?" unless they ask that for every good thing that comes their way.
But today I washed 100 life jackets by hand and each life jacket is about a 3 minute process. On a 90 degree day in 70% humidity. It was long.
So yeah, I have this new job at a whitewater rafting place. At first glance it sounds like one of those jobs that, at the end of the summer, I'll be waving in all my friends' faces. 'Oh you worked at McDonalds? I worked at a whitewater rafting place. NBD". Uh...well...it's a good job. In light of the fact that this is on the internet, available to anyone who wants to see it, let's just say it has it's challenges.
I'm learning a lot. I'm learning how to keep a good attitude in spite of ALL external influences. I walked into work this morning and got an immediate warning from my boss that "today was going to be a bad day". In my opinion, that's not really a successful way to boost your employees' morale. I'm a happy person, and it takes a lot to put me in a really bad attitude, but one way to do that is to destroy my optimism right off the bat. But since I'm not in a position to change my boss's mind about how he handles things, the only thing I can do is learn to adapt to it. I'm honestly not that used to being around someone so pessimistic...
Anyways. Challenges are a necessary part of life. "Challenge" is a fun word, it sounds so ambitious! But when they roll around, they're rarely greeted with enthusiasm. So here I go, mustering up as much enthusiasm as I can to face this challenge every day for the rest of my summer. Wish me luck :)
But today I washed 100 life jackets by hand and each life jacket is about a 3 minute process. On a 90 degree day in 70% humidity. It was long.
So yeah, I have this new job at a whitewater rafting place. At first glance it sounds like one of those jobs that, at the end of the summer, I'll be waving in all my friends' faces. 'Oh you worked at McDonalds? I worked at a whitewater rafting place. NBD". Uh...well...it's a good job. In light of the fact that this is on the internet, available to anyone who wants to see it, let's just say it has it's challenges.
I'm learning a lot. I'm learning how to keep a good attitude in spite of ALL external influences. I walked into work this morning and got an immediate warning from my boss that "today was going to be a bad day". In my opinion, that's not really a successful way to boost your employees' morale. I'm a happy person, and it takes a lot to put me in a really bad attitude, but one way to do that is to destroy my optimism right off the bat. But since I'm not in a position to change my boss's mind about how he handles things, the only thing I can do is learn to adapt to it. I'm honestly not that used to being around someone so pessimistic...
Anyways. Challenges are a necessary part of life. "Challenge" is a fun word, it sounds so ambitious! But when they roll around, they're rarely greeted with enthusiasm. So here I go, mustering up as much enthusiasm as I can to face this challenge every day for the rest of my summer. Wish me luck :)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Life lessons from God and Bob Marley.
Well! It's been a while since my last post, meaning I obviously haven't had anything important on my mind.
Ha.
Yesterday, my friend Rachel sent me a text saying - "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid". Words of Jesus himself, in case you were wondering.
Apparently I'm somewhat of a worrywart. I might have had to have my friend point it out to me before I realized it, but now that it's brought to my attention, I know she's right. Frankly, I blame my parents. In an attempt to keep us from doing stupid things my brothers and I often heard things like, "don't look at the sun, you'll go blind!" Which, coincidentally, also happens when you sit to close to the TV or read in a dimly lit room. "Don't eat too much of the same food, you'll become allergic to it!" or "don't eat too much sugar, you'll become a diabetic!". My personal favorite, "don't swallow toothpaste, it will give you cancer".
At least I know they care.
Regardless of whose fault it is...
No one should live life blindly ignorant to the consequences of their actions, but I don't think that's my problem. I do think about things a little too much at times, and while thinking is harmless, I create too many hypothetical situations in my head and then proceed to worry about them. I worry that I'll end up married to someone to doesn't contribute anything to the relationship; I worry that no matter how much of a good mother I try to be, I'll raise a child who walks out on me, ends up in jail, or just turns out to be a jerk. I worry that I'm too trusting and would be blind to anyone using me for their own personal benefit. I worried that I wouldn't be making enough money this summer to cover any of my expenses. I worry about accidentally hurting someone or making a mess out of a situation. You get the point, the list goes on.
Rachel was right, God doesn't intend for us to worry about everything, specifically the things that are out of our control. It's all over Scripture...apparently people have had worrying problems since the beginning of time. 1 Peter 5:6-7 "...casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you". Psalm 55:22 "Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee". Proverbs 12:25 "Anxiety in the heart of a man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad". Last one, Phillipians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God". Worrying causes us stress, but God wants to take that stress away from us. He even offered a trade: He gives us his peace, we give him our stress.
Mmmmm.
God doesn't need us worrying or breathing down his back to get the job done. So let things go, and let Him do what he does best. Don't worry, be happy!
- Mandy-Pies
Ha.
Yesterday, my friend Rachel sent me a text saying - "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid". Words of Jesus himself, in case you were wondering.
Apparently I'm somewhat of a worrywart. I might have had to have my friend point it out to me before I realized it, but now that it's brought to my attention, I know she's right. Frankly, I blame my parents. In an attempt to keep us from doing stupid things my brothers and I often heard things like, "don't look at the sun, you'll go blind!" Which, coincidentally, also happens when you sit to close to the TV or read in a dimly lit room. "Don't eat too much of the same food, you'll become allergic to it!" or "don't eat too much sugar, you'll become a diabetic!". My personal favorite, "don't swallow toothpaste, it will give you cancer".
At least I know they care.
Regardless of whose fault it is...
No one should live life blindly ignorant to the consequences of their actions, but I don't think that's my problem. I do think about things a little too much at times, and while thinking is harmless, I create too many hypothetical situations in my head and then proceed to worry about them. I worry that I'll end up married to someone to doesn't contribute anything to the relationship; I worry that no matter how much of a good mother I try to be, I'll raise a child who walks out on me, ends up in jail, or just turns out to be a jerk. I worry that I'm too trusting and would be blind to anyone using me for their own personal benefit. I worried that I wouldn't be making enough money this summer to cover any of my expenses. I worry about accidentally hurting someone or making a mess out of a situation. You get the point, the list goes on.
Rachel was right, God doesn't intend for us to worry about everything, specifically the things that are out of our control. It's all over Scripture...apparently people have had worrying problems since the beginning of time. 1 Peter 5:6-7 "...casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you". Psalm 55:22 "Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee". Proverbs 12:25 "Anxiety in the heart of a man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad". Last one, Phillipians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God". Worrying causes us stress, but God wants to take that stress away from us. He even offered a trade: He gives us his peace, we give him our stress.
Mmmmm.
God doesn't need us worrying or breathing down his back to get the job done. So let things go, and let Him do what he does best. Don't worry, be happy!
- Mandy-Pies
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Need a good LOL?
Well then, prepare to LOL.
I would like to introduce you to lolcatz (how fitting). I guess you could call them my guilty pleasure.
This innocent form of humor has provided me with hours of belly-aching, tear-jerking laughter. I don't care if that makes me childish.
Thanks to my friend Ross for getting me hooked. Enjoy!
...I dare you not to laugh!
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I would like to introduce you to lolcatz (how fitting). I guess you could call them my guilty pleasure.
This innocent form of humor has provided me with hours of belly-aching, tear-jerking laughter. I don't care if that makes me childish.
Thanks to my friend Ross for getting me hooked. Enjoy!
...I dare you not to laugh!
Haha...in this case, cats rule.
Cats aren't the only ones who ask this question...
Lolcat speaks the truth!
hahahaha....that's a good question..
Right, it's not a cat
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Not Over You
I guess this means my posts don't really have a theme to them. Sometimes they're deep, sometimes they're philosphical, sometimes they're nonsense and sometimes they're just the lyrics to a really good song.
Dreams, that's where I have to go
to see your beautiful face anymore
I stare at a picture of you and listen to the radio
Hope, hope there's a conversation
where we both admit we had it good but
until then it's alienation, I know, that much is understood
And I realize
If you ask me how I'm doin I would say I'm doin just fine
I would lie and say that you're not on my mind
But I go out and I sit down at a table set for two
and finally I'm forced to face the truth
No matter what they say, I'm not over you
Not over you
Damn, damn girl you do it well
And I thought you were innocent
You took this heart and put it through hell
But still you're magnificent
I'm a boomerang doesn't matter how you throw me
Turn around and I'm back in the game
Even better than the old me
But I'm not even close without you
If you ask me how I'm doin I would say I'm doin just fine
I would lie and say that you're not on my mind
But I go out and I sit down at a table set for two
and finally I'm forced to face the truth
No matter what I say, I'm not over you
And if I had the chance to renew
You know there isn't a thing I wouldn't do
I could get back on the right track
But only if you'd be convinced
So until then
If you ask me how I'm doin I would say I'm doin just fine
I would lie and say that you're not on my mind
But I go out and I sit down at a table set for two
and finally I'm forced to face the truth
No matter what I say, I'm not over you
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
"If wishes were crackers, my daughter would be fat"
I wish it was possible to make people care.
But so far I've found that you can't.
I wish I could make people care that God loves them more than any human is capable of loving a person.
I wish I could make people care that smoking was destroying their body amd inhibiting them from living life to the fullest.
I wish I could make people care that I love them and want our relationship to be the best it can possibly be.
I sometimes wish I could make people care that they're hurting me.
I wish I could make people care that they're making a decision that I don't believe is beneficial to them. Even though it's not really my place to judge which decisions are worthwhile and which are not.
I wish I could make people care that the food they're putting in their bodies will turn them into a chubby old fool prone to heart attacks, diabetes, and hair loss...
...I get kinda preachy about health-related stuff. Don't blame me if you're immobilized or if you live until
you're 55.
Just saying.
I wish I could make people care that wearing a tight-fitting shirt that clings to every roll in your belly is not a look that works.
But.
Wishes aren't crackers.
Disappointing as it may be, you can't make a person care about something if they don't want to. You cannot make me care about the germs on the floor. If I drop my froot loop on the floor and I want to eat it, I'm going to eat it no matter what you say. You can't make me care about Brittany Spears' personal life regardless of how important it is to you.
All joking aside, this is a lesson I'm still in the process of learning. Credit to Brian Weyer for providing most of this insight.
But so far I've found that you can't.
I wish I could make people care that God loves them more than any human is capable of loving a person.
I wish I could make people care that smoking was destroying their body amd inhibiting them from living life to the fullest.
I wish I could make people care that I love them and want our relationship to be the best it can possibly be.
I sometimes wish I could make people care that they're hurting me.
I wish I could make people care that they're making a decision that I don't believe is beneficial to them. Even though it's not really my place to judge which decisions are worthwhile and which are not.
I wish I could make people care that the food they're putting in their bodies will turn them into a chubby old fool prone to heart attacks, diabetes, and hair loss...
...I get kinda preachy about health-related stuff. Don't blame me if you're immobilized or if you live until
you're 55.
Just saying.
I wish I could make people care that wearing a tight-fitting shirt that clings to every roll in your belly is not a look that works.
But.
Wishes aren't crackers.
Disappointing as it may be, you can't make a person care about something if they don't want to. You cannot make me care about the germs on the floor. If I drop my froot loop on the floor and I want to eat it, I'm going to eat it no matter what you say. You can't make me care about Brittany Spears' personal life regardless of how important it is to you.
All joking aside, this is a lesson I'm still in the process of learning. Credit to Brian Weyer for providing most of this insight.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
The Right to Feel
Somewhere along the road society has made a mockery of girls that are too girly and people that have too many emotions.
Which is not all bad. If you ask my friends and family, I'm not a very emotional or "girly" girl. As such, I don't support letting your emotions run loose and wreaking dramatic havoc, if you know what I mean.
But there's a fine line between avoiding drama and suppressing emotion. I think society has taught us that nobody likes to be around a person with an abundance of emotions, but in my case it turned into a constant battle to be the girl that never feels anything that might get in the way of others' desires or needs. For me, it became a challenge to be the perfect girl that never let her darn emotions expose themselves and bother those around her.
I've discovered that it's not an easy task and it's not a fair expectation from anyone, especially a girl. The mere fact that it's exhausting to try and stifle emotions suggests that there are some that aren't meant to be stifled. Some are purely instinctual and irrational but others...might be plausible. Like I said, it's a fine line and one that nobody is really qualified to judge, seeing as how we're all emotionally wired so differently.
I guess I think that you should never let your emotions run your life unless you want to wind up a hysterical mess. But sometimes, it's fine to cry, it's ok to worry, and it's all right to (dare I say it) fall in love. Sometimes a person is entitled to showing a little emotion. After all, it's part of what makes us human.
Sorry for such a disjointed set of thoughts...I was kind of emotional when I started this.
MandyPies
Which is not all bad. If you ask my friends and family, I'm not a very emotional or "girly" girl. As such, I don't support letting your emotions run loose and wreaking dramatic havoc, if you know what I mean.
But there's a fine line between avoiding drama and suppressing emotion. I think society has taught us that nobody likes to be around a person with an abundance of emotions, but in my case it turned into a constant battle to be the girl that never feels anything that might get in the way of others' desires or needs. For me, it became a challenge to be the perfect girl that never let her darn emotions expose themselves and bother those around her.
I've discovered that it's not an easy task and it's not a fair expectation from anyone, especially a girl. The mere fact that it's exhausting to try and stifle emotions suggests that there are some that aren't meant to be stifled. Some are purely instinctual and irrational but others...might be plausible. Like I said, it's a fine line and one that nobody is really qualified to judge, seeing as how we're all emotionally wired so differently.
I guess I think that you should never let your emotions run your life unless you want to wind up a hysterical mess. But sometimes, it's fine to cry, it's ok to worry, and it's all right to (dare I say it) fall in love. Sometimes a person is entitled to showing a little emotion. After all, it's part of what makes us human.
Sorry for such a disjointed set of thoughts...I was kind of emotional when I started this.
MandyPies
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The Written Version
Some stories are lived, some stories are written, some stories are read, and some stories are seen. This is a synopsis of a year-long story about a girl who went back to college for her sophomore year...the written version.
My original purpose in compiling this was to give a visual aid to the places and people that had the most impact on me this last year, but I think this blog is just as much a benefit to me as it is to anyone else. I miss all this and it's great to relive so many of these memories.
So enjoy!
Old friends and Gorecki (dining center) booths. Why does everyone love the booths so much! They're constricting, and difficult to get out of. This year I learned to like....tolerate them because it's what all the kids are doing these days. Booths, beets, battlestar galactica.
But anywho...this is Katie. Katie Renier. She likes to smile, and in doing so, she inadvertently makes me smile! Often. She didn't want this picture taken. O.o
These are the high tables. And this is Dan, of course. First of all, he chose his eating spot well. It's so much less constricting and it's a better vantage point. Secondly, having a really old friend in school with me this semester was super nice. Don't tell him, but I brag about him to all my other friends. I say he's super cool and he's a micro-prodigy, which he is.
Let's see....
Ahh...a view that has become oh so familiar. Speaking of vantage points, there's no better place to get some quality creeping done than in the library, especially from behind the front desk. Mmhhmm...
Also, fun chairs to spin in.
My favorite sight every day. Granted, she might have been a little off guard at the time of this picture, and she might be opposed to it being on the internet, but two years of rooming with this girl helped shape the best two years of my life. I hope that comment makes up for this post.
Where to begin?
<---This is Brian. He likes computers, cameras, Ross Hodapp, and not smiling in pictures. He used to be a skater boi way back in the day, but...old habits die hard. You can often find him with a sundrop (or beer) in his hand, in his car, or on an adventure.
^ This is Ross. One of the few humans I know who's fluent in both English and Lolcat. If you
don't know what Lolcat is, do as Ross would do and Google it. He likes computers too,
and really loud music...and kittehs. Beware entering his room without
warning because he feels most comfortable in his natural state - boxers.
And this is where they live! Vincent 80...some crazy funny stuff happens here. Very few kitchen appliances, but the futon is pretty comfortable. I feel like half of my time was spent here and out of habit I may walk through the front door next year and happen upon some unsuspecting strangers.
"God gave us music so that we might pray without words"
I can't even begin to count how many hours were spent in front of the piano...hours of simply releasing emotions onto a willing (not to mention inanimate) object and making music out of it. God gave me the gift of music because he knew I needed therapy.
I also thought it was fitting how the practice rooms resembled white padded cells.
This happens to be my favorite piano. It's a Yamaha :)
The infamous Quadrangle. The deathly stairs. Two times a day, every single day of the week. This isn't the end of it, Quad....I'll be back next year and you won't beat me so easily next time.
And I think I'm gonna end on a good-looking note. At such a small school, you start seeing the same faces every day and you get used to seeing those faces. You might not even know the person behind the face, but when school ends and you no longer see those faces, you miss those people. In a strange, creepy way.
And then there are faces that belong to people you do know and that you see so often you begin to take them for granted. This is Katie, and like many of my good friends at school and everywhere else, I can't get enough of seeing her face. It's times like now when I know I won't see it for a long time, that I begin to realize how much that person means to me.
I miss all my faces!
That's all for now. All this blogging is exhausting, and the fact that I'm putting this much effort into something that one, maybe two people will read, just crossed my mind.
On that note...
MandyPies
My original purpose in compiling this was to give a visual aid to the places and people that had the most impact on me this last year, but I think this blog is just as much a benefit to me as it is to anyone else. I miss all this and it's great to relive so many of these memories.
So enjoy!
But anywho...this is Katie. Katie Renier. She likes to smile, and in doing so, she inadvertently makes me smile! Often. She didn't want this picture taken. O.o
Let's see....
Also, fun chairs to spin in.
My favorite sight every day. Granted, she might have been a little off guard at the time of this picture, and she might be opposed to it being on the internet, but two years of rooming with this girl helped shape the best two years of my life. I hope that comment makes up for this post.
<---This is Brian. He likes computers, cameras, Ross Hodapp, and not smiling in pictures. He used to be a skater boi way back in the day, but...old habits die hard. You can often find him with a sundrop (or beer) in his hand, in his car, or on an adventure.
^ This is Ross. One of the few humans I know who's fluent in both English and Lolcat. If you
don't know what Lolcat is, do as Ross would do and Google it. He likes computers too,
and really loud music...and kittehs. Beware entering his room without
warning because he feels most comfortable in his natural state - boxers.
And this is where they live! Vincent 80...some crazy funny stuff happens here. Very few kitchen appliances, but the futon is pretty comfortable. I feel like half of my time was spent here and out of habit I may walk through the front door next year and happen upon some unsuspecting strangers.
I can't even begin to count how many hours were spent in front of the piano...hours of simply releasing emotions onto a willing (not to mention inanimate) object and making music out of it. God gave me the gift of music because he knew I needed therapy.
I also thought it was fitting how the practice rooms resembled white padded cells.
This happens to be my favorite piano. It's a Yamaha :)
The infamous Quadrangle. The deathly stairs. Two times a day, every single day of the week. This isn't the end of it, Quad....I'll be back next year and you won't beat me so easily next time.
And I think I'm gonna end on a good-looking note. At such a small school, you start seeing the same faces every day and you get used to seeing those faces. You might not even know the person behind the face, but when school ends and you no longer see those faces, you miss those people. In a strange, creepy way.
And then there are faces that belong to people you do know and that you see so often you begin to take them for granted. This is Katie, and like many of my good friends at school and everywhere else, I can't get enough of seeing her face. It's times like now when I know I won't see it for a long time, that I begin to realize how much that person means to me.
I miss all my faces!
That's all for now. All this blogging is exhausting, and the fact that I'm putting this much effort into something that one, maybe two people will read, just crossed my mind.
On that note...
MandyPies
Monday, May 30, 2011
Mulch Me!
I love how life unfolds slowly, piece by piece, so that you're never able to predict what's next. Things never happen the way you expect them to and while uncertainty is something we all try to avoid, uncertainty is often what gives us the curiosity to keep trying.
That said, I occasionally love it when I don't have a plan because it leaves open so much room for adventure.
-->Adventure: a bold, usually risky undertaking; a hazardous action of uncertain outcome.
Disclaimer: I do not condone doing stupid or dangerous things.
So yesterday I spent a few (meaning 6) hours at my friend's house editing pictures on her fabulous computer. If you've met my computer before, you'd be able to understand how ecstatic I was to be able to use a Mac AND Photoshop. I was more lost than a teenage boy in a bra store, but just about as excited.
That's not the point of the story. I went to pick Joe up from work and he suggested we stay in town and see the next movie, which happened to be 2 hours from then. Given two hours to waste in Cloquet, there's not much you can do without spending a good chunk of money, but lucky for us, we had been assigned to pick up a bag of mulch from Walmart.
It sounds pretty straightforward, I know.
And it would have been but Walmart has organizational problems. We ran to the lawn and garden section and scoured the area for mulch (assuming it came in bags and would be in the lawn and garden section). Upon finding none, we resorted to trying to find a store worker, which seems like it would have been a good Step 1, but Joe and I both have an aversion to talking to strangers. Anyways I walked up behind this one guy working at a counter and said, "Excuse me....EXCUSE ME!..." He didn't move. I'm assuming the guy was completely deaf (and works at a cash register?!), so we hustled out of there, having attracted the attention of every other customer within a fifty yard radius and successfully made fools of ourselves.
I forgot to preface this story with the fact that you're supposed to pay for the mulch before you go get it, and by this time we had already paid $13.65 or something for two bags of 'RBRMULCH'. So, having been tipped off by another cashier, we went outside to the parking lot where this dang mulch was supposedly located and we found piles of bags of stuff covered in tarps in an empty parking lot. Walmart workers are like car keys...you can find them everywhere until you actually need them. I saw movement behind a couple potted trees out in the parking lot and told Joe to go see if it was a person and then ask them to get us our mulch. It was in fact a person, but we kinda gathered he didn't know much about mulch when he croaked, "I'm maintenance!"
So back inside. There was absolutely no way we were going back to the lawn and garden section to try to speak with the deaf cashier, so we went up to the front and spotted an authoritative-looking cashier who saw she had been spotted and croaked, "This register is closed!" (I'm starting to see a pattern in how the workers there speak). At this point, Joe, my timid little brother, finally found a voice and said "Excuse me lady, I'm just trying to find my dang mulch and no one in this God-forsaken building will help us, now get me my mulch before I tweak!" (or something to that effect). Whatever he said it worked...she didn't know anything about mulch, but she had the sense to call someone who did. Tom, the Walmart worker that stole my heart and saved the day. Apparently, someone in Walmart had sold us a type of (very expensive) mulch that didn't exist and then sent us out on a wild goose chase to go find it.
AH HA! UR EVIL PLANS WUZ FOILED! TOM SAVZ US!
Sorry.
Anyways, an adventure was had and mulch was retrieved. Embrace uncertainty!...and apply this to the bigger picture. Sometimes you don't know what the heck you're doing and neither does anyone else, but just keep going! It might feel like you're running around in circles, but sooner or later you'll find what you're looking for.
Mandy-Pies
That said, I occasionally love it when I don't have a plan because it leaves open so much room for adventure.
-->Adventure: a bold, usually risky undertaking; a hazardous action of uncertain outcome.
Disclaimer: I do not condone doing stupid or dangerous things.
So yesterday I spent a few (meaning 6) hours at my friend's house editing pictures on her fabulous computer. If you've met my computer before, you'd be able to understand how ecstatic I was to be able to use a Mac AND Photoshop. I was more lost than a teenage boy in a bra store, but just about as excited.
That's not the point of the story. I went to pick Joe up from work and he suggested we stay in town and see the next movie, which happened to be 2 hours from then. Given two hours to waste in Cloquet, there's not much you can do without spending a good chunk of money, but lucky for us, we had been assigned to pick up a bag of mulch from Walmart.
It sounds pretty straightforward, I know.
And it would have been but Walmart has organizational problems. We ran to the lawn and garden section and scoured the area for mulch (assuming it came in bags and would be in the lawn and garden section). Upon finding none, we resorted to trying to find a store worker, which seems like it would have been a good Step 1, but Joe and I both have an aversion to talking to strangers. Anyways I walked up behind this one guy working at a counter and said, "Excuse me....EXCUSE ME!..." He didn't move. I'm assuming the guy was completely deaf (and works at a cash register?!), so we hustled out of there, having attracted the attention of every other customer within a fifty yard radius and successfully made fools of ourselves.
I forgot to preface this story with the fact that you're supposed to pay for the mulch before you go get it, and by this time we had already paid $13.65 or something for two bags of 'RBRMULCH'. So, having been tipped off by another cashier, we went outside to the parking lot where this dang mulch was supposedly located and we found piles of bags of stuff covered in tarps in an empty parking lot. Walmart workers are like car keys...you can find them everywhere until you actually need them. I saw movement behind a couple potted trees out in the parking lot and told Joe to go see if it was a person and then ask them to get us our mulch. It was in fact a person, but we kinda gathered he didn't know much about mulch when he croaked, "I'm maintenance!"
So back inside. There was absolutely no way we were going back to the lawn and garden section to try to speak with the deaf cashier, so we went up to the front and spotted an authoritative-looking cashier who saw she had been spotted and croaked, "This register is closed!" (I'm starting to see a pattern in how the workers there speak). At this point, Joe, my timid little brother, finally found a voice and said "Excuse me lady, I'm just trying to find my dang mulch and no one in this God-forsaken building will help us, now get me my mulch before I tweak!" (or something to that effect). Whatever he said it worked...she didn't know anything about mulch, but she had the sense to call someone who did. Tom, the Walmart worker that stole my heart and saved the day. Apparently, someone in Walmart had sold us a type of (very expensive) mulch that didn't exist and then sent us out on a wild goose chase to go find it.
AH HA! UR EVIL PLANS WUZ FOILED! TOM SAVZ US!
Sorry.
Anyways, an adventure was had and mulch was retrieved. Embrace uncertainty!...and apply this to the bigger picture. Sometimes you don't know what the heck you're doing and neither does anyone else, but just keep going! It might feel like you're running around in circles, but sooner or later you'll find what you're looking for.
Mandy-Pies
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Summer?
I haven't had time to blog for a very long time, and now that I do, I'm not sure I can conjure up something relevant to say.
The school year has wound to a close and the second half of my life has begun. Once school is out, I generally have to reconfigure my habits and hobbies and stuff. That switch between lives generally requires that I do a complete changeabout and put my school self in the closet for three months, packed away with all the used-up notebooks, ramen noodles, and single bed sheets. It sounds shallow and flighty that I have these two selves that I swap out like a purse to fit the season, but if you think about it, there's a difference between spending most of your time in your room instead of in the library or campus cafe, between having your parents as roommates and living surrounded by teenage girls, and between having everything in walking distance and having nothing in walking distance aside from the barn.
Anyways, I'm ready for something constant. I'm considering finding a job in the St. Cloud area next summer and trying to find living accomodations. As much as I love my family and love coming home, I feel like it's time for me to start de-attaching myself from my pink, polka-dotted bedroom. Even if it was a 13-hour paint job. Barnum might just be getting a little crowded.
The school year has wound to a close and the second half of my life has begun. Once school is out, I generally have to reconfigure my habits and hobbies and stuff. That switch between lives generally requires that I do a complete changeabout and put my school self in the closet for three months, packed away with all the used-up notebooks, ramen noodles, and single bed sheets. It sounds shallow and flighty that I have these two selves that I swap out like a purse to fit the season, but if you think about it, there's a difference between spending most of your time in your room instead of in the library or campus cafe, between having your parents as roommates and living surrounded by teenage girls, and between having everything in walking distance and having nothing in walking distance aside from the barn.
Anyways, I'm ready for something constant. I'm considering finding a job in the St. Cloud area next summer and trying to find living accomodations. As much as I love my family and love coming home, I feel like it's time for me to start de-attaching myself from my pink, polka-dotted bedroom. Even if it was a 13-hour paint job. Barnum might just be getting a little crowded.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Oh, the life of a bus-goer...
Learning how to properly take the bus should be a class in itself.
You have to know when to get to the bus stop. If you get there too early, you have nothing to do, so you have to pull out your phone and pretend to be popular or pull out your iPod and pretend to be hip. If you get there too late, you are faced with the decision of whether to risk running down the street screaming like a lunatic in hopes the bus driver will stop, or waiting another half an hour. In which case, see above.
You also have to get there early enough to position yourself somewhere near the beginning of the line, because everyone knows if you're in the back, you'll probably have to stand for the entire 15 minutes. When grumpy old men drive buses, you know they don't care if you have nothing to hold on to before they take that corner at 50 mph. If you're not standing, you will probably have to sit next to a stranger, which isn't bad unless that person has spider legs and giant knees or chooses to spend the entire bus ride yelling to his/her friend three seats down.
You also have to find a good spot on the bus! What looks like a promising seat three rows back is actually taken up by the bus wheel. Congratulations, you get to ride the rest of the way with your knees touching your chin. And you thought that seat was just miraculously open.
Oh yeah, and don't sit too far back if you have to get off early either, because the rest of the people that have to get off to let you out will burn your face into their memories and mentally condemn you into one of Dante's inner circles of hell.
Oh the bus. Just make sure you have someone to stand in line with you as you wait in the frigid cold.
It helps if said person is particularly witty.
You have to know when to get to the bus stop. If you get there too early, you have nothing to do, so you have to pull out your phone and pretend to be popular or pull out your iPod and pretend to be hip. If you get there too late, you are faced with the decision of whether to risk running down the street screaming like a lunatic in hopes the bus driver will stop, or waiting another half an hour. In which case, see above.
You also have to get there early enough to position yourself somewhere near the beginning of the line, because everyone knows if you're in the back, you'll probably have to stand for the entire 15 minutes. When grumpy old men drive buses, you know they don't care if you have nothing to hold on to before they take that corner at 50 mph. If you're not standing, you will probably have to sit next to a stranger, which isn't bad unless that person has spider legs and giant knees or chooses to spend the entire bus ride yelling to his/her friend three seats down.
You also have to find a good spot on the bus! What looks like a promising seat three rows back is actually taken up by the bus wheel. Congratulations, you get to ride the rest of the way with your knees touching your chin. And you thought that seat was just miraculously open.
Oh yeah, and don't sit too far back if you have to get off early either, because the rest of the people that have to get off to let you out will burn your face into their memories and mentally condemn you into one of Dante's inner circles of hell.
Oh the bus. Just make sure you have someone to stand in line with you as you wait in the frigid cold.
It helps if said person is particularly witty.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Don't forfeit your chance of finishing strong for a little company.
Ok so...this isn't really original, but it's genius.
Life is an adventure, a race, full of passion and excitement and the only way to really live it is to be running, side by side with God.
Sometimes during that race we tire of running and we give up momentarily; other times we run in the wrong direction and God has to remind us where it was we were going. Once in a while we run into someone who seems to be running in the same direction as us and we invite them to join, but before long we realize that that person is not running at our speed or in the same direction, and it throws us off our path with God.
But we need only to keep in stride with God and hope that someday we will meet a person who is running for the same reasons we are, at the same pace, and in the same direction.
That's when you'll know.
Life is an adventure, a race, full of passion and excitement and the only way to really live it is to be running, side by side with God.
Sometimes during that race we tire of running and we give up momentarily; other times we run in the wrong direction and God has to remind us where it was we were going. Once in a while we run into someone who seems to be running in the same direction as us and we invite them to join, but before long we realize that that person is not running at our speed or in the same direction, and it throws us off our path with God.
But we need only to keep in stride with God and hope that someday we will meet a person who is running for the same reasons we are, at the same pace, and in the same direction.
That's when you'll know.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Love is a vicious cycle.
You strive so hard to become the person God made you to be, and in the process you come to realize you're worth more than you expected. But the minute you discover you're worth something, you yearn for someone who will love you for all that you are, and when you're finally with that person, you realize that you gave up a little bit of yourself for the love you thought you needed to have.
* * *
You strive so hard to become the person God made you to be, and in the process you come to realize you're worth more than you expected. But the minute you discover you're worth something, you yearn for someone who will love you for all that you are, and when you're finally with that person, you realize that you gave up a little bit of yourself for the love you thought you needed to have.
* * *
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Easter Egg Enterprise
Today was both special and ordinary. A Monday among Mondays, a dandelion in a field of similar ugly weeds. But today was my first and most explicit Easter Egg hunt memory. Why do college students participate in such a childish event? Because Easter Egg hunts turn even the most cultured, erudite individual into a snarling savage, like a child just out of reach of the cookie jar.
This momentous event began with a countdown by the RA, followed by a series of devilish shrieks and banshee yells as we all tried to outrun each other to the nearest pile of orange, purple, and green. Being as there were about 7 of these said piles and around 18 screaming girls (and a few unfortunate guys), this whole ordeal lasted a maximum of four minutes. As our pockets were overflowing with handfuls of these miniature treasure boxes and sweat/blood was dripping off every square inch of our skin, guilt started to creep in. For me at least. I looked around and saw a few poor souls who were simply not as fast and furious as myself who didn't get any Easter eggs, while my close friends and I were hoarding what I believe to be about 2/3 of the egg count, and I was transported back to that one time, almost farther back than I can remember, when I was that poor soul. As such, I was overcome with empathy and began handing out my eggs to those around me, like a re-born Grinch at Christmas or a springtide Santa Clause.
Feeling much lighter and gracious, the four of us headed back inside to divy up our spoils. The chocolate was the first to go (into our stomachs, that is), while the fruit-like candy sat around in 4 neat, even little piles. Baffled about what to do with it, the devilish, warrior-like savages that we had been forced to stifle in the presence of civilization started to rear their ugly heads again and candy started flying. For some odd reason, that candy started flying (and by flying I mean being thrown) in the direction of two places that normally don't have things thrown at them, if you know what I mean. If you don't, it was my crotch and Julia's shirt. This little play-game caught on quickly and may have lasted longer than the Easter Egg hunt itself. Needless to say, after fifteen minutes and every piece of that candy being in almost every place on the floor, we did not want to eat that candy. Said candy was dead to us.
Eager to find another way to entertain my beloved hallmates, I took it upon myself to, in the spirit of the holiday, demonstrate what it might look like if a chicken were to lay an Easter Egg. This proved to be quite successful and while I may have permanently harmed my reputation as a human being, I can say that I brought an ounce of joy into the lives of others. Not to mention finding another use for those cheap, plastic eggs, that can be taken advantage of in Easters to come.
While it might take the rest of the month to locate and eliminate all remnants of that fateful day, I believe that candy had the most fulfilling life a candy could ever ask for. That candy provided more happiness to a room full of college girls than it ever would have in the mouths of children.
This momentous event began with a countdown by the RA, followed by a series of devilish shrieks and banshee yells as we all tried to outrun each other to the nearest pile of orange, purple, and green. Being as there were about 7 of these said piles and around 18 screaming girls (and a few unfortunate guys), this whole ordeal lasted a maximum of four minutes. As our pockets were overflowing with handfuls of these miniature treasure boxes and sweat/blood was dripping off every square inch of our skin, guilt started to creep in. For me at least. I looked around and saw a few poor souls who were simply not as fast and furious as myself who didn't get any Easter eggs, while my close friends and I were hoarding what I believe to be about 2/3 of the egg count, and I was transported back to that one time, almost farther back than I can remember, when I was that poor soul. As such, I was overcome with empathy and began handing out my eggs to those around me, like a re-born Grinch at Christmas or a springtide Santa Clause.
Feeling much lighter and gracious, the four of us headed back inside to divy up our spoils. The chocolate was the first to go (into our stomachs, that is), while the fruit-like candy sat around in 4 neat, even little piles. Baffled about what to do with it, the devilish, warrior-like savages that we had been forced to stifle in the presence of civilization started to rear their ugly heads again and candy started flying. For some odd reason, that candy started flying (and by flying I mean being thrown) in the direction of two places that normally don't have things thrown at them, if you know what I mean. If you don't, it was my crotch and Julia's shirt. This little play-game caught on quickly and may have lasted longer than the Easter Egg hunt itself. Needless to say, after fifteen minutes and every piece of that candy being in almost every place on the floor, we did not want to eat that candy. Said candy was dead to us.
Eager to find another way to entertain my beloved hallmates, I took it upon myself to, in the spirit of the holiday, demonstrate what it might look like if a chicken were to lay an Easter Egg. This proved to be quite successful and while I may have permanently harmed my reputation as a human being, I can say that I brought an ounce of joy into the lives of others. Not to mention finding another use for those cheap, plastic eggs, that can be taken advantage of in Easters to come.
While it might take the rest of the month to locate and eliminate all remnants of that fateful day, I believe that candy had the most fulfilling life a candy could ever ask for. That candy provided more happiness to a room full of college girls than it ever would have in the mouths of children.
Monday, April 18, 2011
what a memorable world
About ten minutes ago, I tried to come up with what I thought was one of my best memories. I couldn't. And instead of snowballing into a massive pity session, I realized that I've been gifted with so many good memories I couldn't possibly pick just one, or even a few.
I remember all the times I got to fly to Florida to visit my grandparents and spend an entire week doing fun things with them. I remember a long time ago, getting out of the shower late at night and heading to the living room with a blanket and a good book. Church potlucks (endless amounts of food), family chats on the kitchen floor, midnight adventures out my bedroom window. Gosh...movie nights, silent football, endless summer volleyball games, bonfires, my half, attempt-at-a-surprise sixteenth birthday. Having someone you liked and denying it, all the while hoping someone will tell them behind your back. Road trips! Spending the night at a friend's house and getting sugar cereal in the morning! (Love you mom and dad, but why didn't we ever get sugar cereal?) Kissing in the rain (did I say that out loud?).
I could go on forever. Thanks God for so many good memories I can't keep track.
I remember all the times I got to fly to Florida to visit my grandparents and spend an entire week doing fun things with them. I remember a long time ago, getting out of the shower late at night and heading to the living room with a blanket and a good book. Church potlucks (endless amounts of food), family chats on the kitchen floor, midnight adventures out my bedroom window. Gosh...movie nights, silent football, endless summer volleyball games, bonfires, my half, attempt-at-a-surprise sixteenth birthday. Having someone you liked and denying it, all the while hoping someone will tell them behind your back. Road trips! Spending the night at a friend's house and getting sugar cereal in the morning! (Love you mom and dad, but why didn't we ever get sugar cereal?) Kissing in the rain (did I say that out loud?).
I could go on forever. Thanks God for so many good memories I can't keep track.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Day 25 and Struggling
I caved. I gave in to the luscious, mouth-watering allure of a caramel apple last night.
But to justify my actions, I would have wasted that good apple had I waited five more days.
I also discovered that I hate trying to explain myself to people. I somehow managed to make my month without sugar coincide almost exactly with Lent, and while I have nothing against those who might be honoring the occasion, I'm tired of trying to convince people that I'm doing it just "for fun", especially when so many others are much more sincere about it. I kind of feel like I'm rubbing it in others' faces.
Oh I also had a Girl Scout cookie, but does that even need justification?
Referring back to a conversation I had earlier, "I just want to buy a girl scout so I can have cookies all the time".
But to justify my actions, I would have wasted that good apple had I waited five more days.
I also discovered that I hate trying to explain myself to people. I somehow managed to make my month without sugar coincide almost exactly with Lent, and while I have nothing against those who might be honoring the occasion, I'm tired of trying to convince people that I'm doing it just "for fun", especially when so many others are much more sincere about it. I kind of feel like I'm rubbing it in others' faces.
Oh I also had a Girl Scout cookie, but does that even need justification?
Referring back to a conversation I had earlier, "I just want to buy a girl scout so I can have cookies all the time".
Friday, April 8, 2011
Infinite grace
For I am the least of the apostles, that I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
I Corinthians 15:9, 10
The beauty of grace is that it doesn't just work for great people or even just pretty good people. It works for losers and screw-ups. God used Paul because, just like he says in the verse, he was simply unworthy to do anything of the sort. Paul hated God, hated the church, and killed hundreds of innocent people, and out of all the people in the world, God chose him. If anyone should have been damned by God right then and there, it was this man. That's the whole point! God's grace works for anyone because it's not about the capability of that person. "I labored more abundantly than all, but NOT I, but the grace of God which was with me."
It only makes sense that grace works for everyone, because it's all God's doing, and he never changes.
I Corinthians 15:9, 10
The beauty of grace is that it doesn't just work for great people or even just pretty good people. It works for losers and screw-ups. God used Paul because, just like he says in the verse, he was simply unworthy to do anything of the sort. Paul hated God, hated the church, and killed hundreds of innocent people, and out of all the people in the world, God chose him. If anyone should have been damned by God right then and there, it was this man. That's the whole point! God's grace works for anyone because it's not about the capability of that person. "I labored more abundantly than all, but NOT I, but the grace of God which was with me."
It only makes sense that grace works for everyone, because it's all God's doing, and he never changes.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Day Number 14 and Sugar Free!
I'm currently cuddled up in a warm blanket on the floor of my dorm room, listening to Schumann, participating in useless but enjoyable conversations on Facebook, and slowly wasting away of starvation. As luck would have it, the only edible thing in my room is a fat, juicy bag of Hershey's kisses waving at me out of sheer cruelty from the shelf across the room. Thanks life, way to kick me when I'm writhing on the ground in pain.
I swear, once this thing is over I plan on buying a carton of cookie dough and eating the entire thing instantly. Last night I turned down homemade blueberry scones and this morning I walked away from a plate of Special K bars and a trough of blueberry crisp. That's not even humane.
That's all. More whining to come!
I swear, once this thing is over I plan on buying a carton of cookie dough and eating the entire thing instantly. Last night I turned down homemade blueberry scones and this morning I walked away from a plate of Special K bars and a trough of blueberry crisp. That's not even humane.
That's all. More whining to come!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
3O DAYS WITHOUT SUGAR
That's right, an effort to do the impossible. While those who know me best realize that this is something I say a lot without really following through, this time it's the shizzle. Meaning for real. "And why would things be different this time, Amanda?" you might ask.
Because I'm blogging about it, that's why! I've never tried blogging before!
Here are the rules.
1. I basically get to make up the rules as I go. Coldstone is and always will be an exception to the rule.
2. No desserts
3. No white bread or pasta
4. Fruit sugars, dressings and sauces, and honey are the only acceptable sugars
So this plan was actually implemented quite a while ago, and currently I'm on Day 10. I'm not going to give an update every single day because frankly, no one cares that much and I don't have time.
Finally, this isn't a weight loss plan, or anything really health-related (although the health benefits are a plus). This, my friends, is simply a battle of wills. I've always wanted to go an entire month, so much so that I put it on my bucket list. What better time to start working on your bucket list than right now?
Be encouraging.
Because I'm blogging about it, that's why! I've never tried blogging before!
Here are the rules.
1. I basically get to make up the rules as I go. Coldstone is and always will be an exception to the rule.
2. No desserts
3. No white bread or pasta
4. Fruit sugars, dressings and sauces, and honey are the only acceptable sugars
So this plan was actually implemented quite a while ago, and currently I'm on Day 10. I'm not going to give an update every single day because frankly, no one cares that much and I don't have time.
Finally, this isn't a weight loss plan, or anything really health-related (although the health benefits are a plus). This, my friends, is simply a battle of wills. I've always wanted to go an entire month, so much so that I put it on my bucket list. What better time to start working on your bucket list than right now?
Friday, March 18, 2011
When life gives you spare time...
Spring break. I'll be starting off my break by flying to Florida, where I will lounge on the beach for a couple days, until I have a nice tan. Then I'll road trip to Nashville and kick it with the stars for a few more days. Finally, I'll take a scenic drive home with my new-found music-making boyfriend where we'll horseback ride in this beautiful Minnesota weather and then sleep for 2 days straight.
Yeah or I'll just go home because I'm poor as dirt, while I sit on my couch and watch movies all day.
Meh. I'm not complaining, just daydreaming. I enjoy being home.
I discovered that underneath my rough exterior, I really don't like blood and gore. In the right context it's tolerable, but otherwise it makes me scream and cry like a little girl. I watched the movie 127 Hours and the little girl part of me appeared out of nowhere. Just a warning if you're thinking about watching it. Come prepared with a blanket, cuddle buddy, or some other good excuse to leave when the moment calls for it.
So after making this discovery, I also discovered that my Religion & Rhetoric professor apparently doesn't have the same distaste of blood and guts as I do. In fact it seems to me like he quite enjoys it because he assigned Saving Private Ryan and The Passion as my movie watching homework for spring break. Thanks Prof. You're the best.
I'm currently watching the Passion while using my computer screen as a sight for traumatized eyes.
Yet once again I'm reminded of what Christ took for us, and it's a vivid reminder. One of those uncomfortable thoughts that we put away and take for granted but...the part we (or I) often forget is just how great a sacrifice it was. It was huge. I'm only watching 15 percent of the movie and I can still see that.
There's also a scene in the movie where Jesus is writing something in the sand. When I was really little, that story in the Bible always used to fascinate me. I always wanted to know what He was writing and why at that moment. Maybe it was nothing, but Jesus had some pretty important things to deal with at the moment, yet he chose to take a moment to write something down. So here we go, it's gonna start driving me crazy again.
MandyPies
Yeah or I'll just go home because I'm poor as dirt, while I sit on my couch and watch movies all day.
Meh. I'm not complaining, just daydreaming. I enjoy being home.
I discovered that underneath my rough exterior, I really don't like blood and gore. In the right context it's tolerable, but otherwise it makes me scream and cry like a little girl. I watched the movie 127 Hours and the little girl part of me appeared out of nowhere. Just a warning if you're thinking about watching it. Come prepared with a blanket, cuddle buddy, or some other good excuse to leave when the moment calls for it.
So after making this discovery, I also discovered that my Religion & Rhetoric professor apparently doesn't have the same distaste of blood and guts as I do. In fact it seems to me like he quite enjoys it because he assigned Saving Private Ryan and The Passion as my movie watching homework for spring break. Thanks Prof. You're the best.
I'm currently watching the Passion while using my computer screen as a sight for traumatized eyes.
Yet once again I'm reminded of what Christ took for us, and it's a vivid reminder. One of those uncomfortable thoughts that we put away and take for granted but...the part we (or I) often forget is just how great a sacrifice it was. It was huge. I'm only watching 15 percent of the movie and I can still see that.
There's also a scene in the movie where Jesus is writing something in the sand. When I was really little, that story in the Bible always used to fascinate me. I always wanted to know what He was writing and why at that moment. Maybe it was nothing, but Jesus had some pretty important things to deal with at the moment, yet he chose to take a moment to write something down. So here we go, it's gonna start driving me crazy again.
MandyPies
Monday, March 14, 2011
A blog too many
I find it easy to be carefree and assume that bad things will never happen to me. Disaster seems to happen so far away from where I live. It happens on TV, it happens in the paper, it happens in the news, but it never happens here.
I also find it easy to boast of my extreme confidence in life and in God. I have noticed that I claim not to let the little things bother me and that it's important to keep a good attitude, no matter what the situation. God is in control, right? Any trials are but bumps in the road and must simply be overlooked.
But the hypocrisy of it all hit me in the face. It's fairly easy to keep a smile on your face when your life is all rainbows and roses. What about when you break your hard drive and lose almost a life's worth of data? What about when your home and the homes of your friends and family are destroyed in an earthquake? What about when you lose a friend in a freak accident? When you're stabbed in the back by someone you loved? Where is the joy you once boasted about?
I realized that my life rarely veers off the track and when it does, I lose it. I lose my composure, my patience, my temper and my faith in the One who promised to get me through it. God promised to give me joy and strength through all things, but when the going gets rough I push Him away, only to let Him back in when I've got things under control again. "See, God? I figured everything out and now I'm full of your joy again, aren't you proud?"
I desire the joy of the Lord in all things, but most of all, I desire it in the lowest and most pitiful moments. The ones where I've been stripped of all of my pride and sense of belonging, and the moments in which I have every right to be miserable.
I feel like when I have joy where there should be misery, God has accomplished a great thing.
I also find it easy to boast of my extreme confidence in life and in God. I have noticed that I claim not to let the little things bother me and that it's important to keep a good attitude, no matter what the situation. God is in control, right? Any trials are but bumps in the road and must simply be overlooked.
But the hypocrisy of it all hit me in the face. It's fairly easy to keep a smile on your face when your life is all rainbows and roses. What about when you break your hard drive and lose almost a life's worth of data? What about when your home and the homes of your friends and family are destroyed in an earthquake? What about when you lose a friend in a freak accident? When you're stabbed in the back by someone you loved? Where is the joy you once boasted about?
I realized that my life rarely veers off the track and when it does, I lose it. I lose my composure, my patience, my temper and my faith in the One who promised to get me through it. God promised to give me joy and strength through all things, but when the going gets rough I push Him away, only to let Him back in when I've got things under control again. "See, God? I figured everything out and now I'm full of your joy again, aren't you proud?"
I desire the joy of the Lord in all things, but most of all, I desire it in the lowest and most pitiful moments. The ones where I've been stripped of all of my pride and sense of belonging, and the moments in which I have every right to be miserable.
I feel like when I have joy where there should be misery, God has accomplished a great thing.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Home.
Home.
Bubble baths and spaghetti dinners. Spaghetti that's so good you eat in the kitchen by the stove to slurp the sauce out of the pan.
Waking up in the morning and going back to bed With the puppy.
Pajamas all day.
Afternoons of Criminal Minds...which make me appreciate that I live in Barnum, Minnesota.
(Fully funded shopping trips...)
And an endless amount of hugs!
" Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave and grow old wanting to get back to" - John Pearce
Bubble baths and spaghetti dinners. Spaghetti that's so good you eat in the kitchen by the stove to slurp the sauce out of the pan.
Waking up in the morning and going back to bed With the puppy.
Pajamas all day.
Afternoons of Criminal Minds...which make me appreciate that I live in Barnum, Minnesota.
(Fully funded shopping trips...)
And an endless amount of hugs!
" Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave and grow old wanting to get back to" - John Pearce
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
When life passes you by...
The beginning of every week sounds the same: "Well, it's a Monday", "This week is going by ssooo slowly", I can't wait til the weekend!" "I have so much homework to do" and "All I need to do is get through this week."
I think we need to change this for two reasons.
One...we tend to miss life as it rushes by us, especially if we're looking towards the future and missing that which is right in front of our eyes. Next thing you know, it's been a year since you've been home and a week since you told your parents you love them. Next thing you know, you're a college graduate looking back on all the times you sat in your room with friends sharing a good laugh about nothing in particular and you'll marvel at how fast they came and went.
Two...I think we should learn to love the tasks that are set before us. Yes they may be hard and grueling, but that's how we grow. We can't learn more, reason more, say more, and do more if we never challenge ourselves. Not only that, but many of us have been given the opportunity of a higher education which, although more common in this day and age, is not a commodity. Work is hard, but that's the road we chose to take. Therefore, embrace it and attack it with all the soul you can muster.
Love more than the weekends. Thank God it's Tuesday!
MandyPies
I think we need to change this for two reasons.
One...we tend to miss life as it rushes by us, especially if we're looking towards the future and missing that which is right in front of our eyes. Next thing you know, it's been a year since you've been home and a week since you told your parents you love them. Next thing you know, you're a college graduate looking back on all the times you sat in your room with friends sharing a good laugh about nothing in particular and you'll marvel at how fast they came and went.
Two...I think we should learn to love the tasks that are set before us. Yes they may be hard and grueling, but that's how we grow. We can't learn more, reason more, say more, and do more if we never challenge ourselves. Not only that, but many of us have been given the opportunity of a higher education which, although more common in this day and age, is not a commodity. Work is hard, but that's the road we chose to take. Therefore, embrace it and attack it with all the soul you can muster.
Love more than the weekends. Thank God it's Tuesday!
MandyPies
Monday, March 7, 2011
Self-Pity
As you may well know, there have been events in my life lately that have been causing me both emotional and mental turmoil...and for good reason. This morning was proving to be especially hard because these "events" had been nagging me in the back of my mind since last night.
I ran into one of my good friends today, who was also having a bad day (oh Monday). She started telling me what was on her mind and what was causing her stress. When I left her I hugged her, and as I was walking away, I said a quick shout out to God for her, mostly because I wanted her to feel better but didn't know that I could do anything that was in my power to do. The moment I said that prayer I was hit with a wave of what was a mixture of rationality, certainty, peace, and...emotion. I said a prayer for HER that had nothing to do with me, and the simple fact of incorporating God into my everyday life and acknowledging that He was here to help made my emotional turmoil disappear. I need to remember that God is not far off and that when we tackle life together, things make more sense.
I don't think it's selfish to cry out to God knowing that it will make you feel better. I think that's what He wants more than anything.
MandyPies
I ran into one of my good friends today, who was also having a bad day (oh Monday). She started telling me what was on her mind and what was causing her stress. When I left her I hugged her, and as I was walking away, I said a quick shout out to God for her, mostly because I wanted her to feel better but didn't know that I could do anything that was in my power to do. The moment I said that prayer I was hit with a wave of what was a mixture of rationality, certainty, peace, and...emotion. I said a prayer for HER that had nothing to do with me, and the simple fact of incorporating God into my everyday life and acknowledging that He was here to help made my emotional turmoil disappear. I need to remember that God is not far off and that when we tackle life together, things make more sense.
I don't think it's selfish to cry out to God knowing that it will make you feel better. I think that's what He wants more than anything.
MandyPies
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Boxing God In
God can't come through for us if we never give Him the opportunity to. Too many times I purposely take the safe route to avoid losing control and crashing-and-burning, but I think in doing that, I'm restricting God from doing what He's best at - taking control.
Love
Weeelll here is my thought.
You know how people freak out about saying “I love you” to someone else? Why?
Why can we say I love you to our friends, but skirt around the issue when it’s someone we really like and reeaallyy care about?
Love is unconditional. In any occasion. Love doesn’t come in different flavors for different situations. When you tell someone you love them, you should be telling them that “Hey, I care about you more than you think. I would give anything I could to make you happy. In fact, I care about your happiness more than I do my own. AND I’ll choose to love you no matter how much you piss me off.”
That’s the kind of love we have for family and friends. The love we have for our significant others is based on the same foundation. It’s basically saying the EXACT same thing but also “Hey, I’m actually very attracted to you too and I like sharing things with you that I might not share with everyone else”.
So it shouldn’t be such a big deal to tell someone you love them.
Next, ever think about God’s love? If you thought the previously mentioned love was cool, try thinking about HIS love.
Ever seen The Mummy Returns? There is this one scene where the husband and wife are innocently digging for archaeological ruins in a large cavern type thing. And then all of a sudden (well, not really, there is an actual reason), this big wave of water bursts through the wall and envelops them. That’s what I think of when I think of God’s love. It’s enormous and it feels unending and it’s impossible to run away from. It bears down on you with such a weight that it’s almost impossible to breathe!
Ok now think of the person you love most in the world. Or think of someone who you know loves you more than you deserve. If you can’t do either of those, think of someone who REALLY knows how to love another person. It’s incredible isn’t it? I’ve seen a few of those people, and when I think of the extent to which they love another person, it makes me want to cry.
Now…think about being in love (or a sappy love movie about two people in love). It’s not a lie when people say that love makes a person glow. Being loved and loving back is such a special thing that it literally radiates from your face.
And just…imagine both of those two things time a million.
You can pick a smaller number if it’s easier.
You know how people freak out about saying “I love you” to someone else? Why?
Why can we say I love you to our friends, but skirt around the issue when it’s someone we really like and reeaallyy care about?
Love is unconditional. In any occasion. Love doesn’t come in different flavors for different situations. When you tell someone you love them, you should be telling them that “Hey, I care about you more than you think. I would give anything I could to make you happy. In fact, I care about your happiness more than I do my own. AND I’ll choose to love you no matter how much you piss me off.”
That’s the kind of love we have for family and friends. The love we have for our significant others is based on the same foundation. It’s basically saying the EXACT same thing but also “Hey, I’m actually very attracted to you too and I like sharing things with you that I might not share with everyone else”.
So it shouldn’t be such a big deal to tell someone you love them.
Next, ever think about God’s love? If you thought the previously mentioned love was cool, try thinking about HIS love.
Ever seen The Mummy Returns? There is this one scene where the husband and wife are innocently digging for archaeological ruins in a large cavern type thing. And then all of a sudden (well, not really, there is an actual reason), this big wave of water bursts through the wall and envelops them. That’s what I think of when I think of God’s love. It’s enormous and it feels unending and it’s impossible to run away from. It bears down on you with such a weight that it’s almost impossible to breathe!
Ok now think of the person you love most in the world. Or think of someone who you know loves you more than you deserve. If you can’t do either of those, think of someone who REALLY knows how to love another person. It’s incredible isn’t it? I’ve seen a few of those people, and when I think of the extent to which they love another person, it makes me want to cry.
Now…think about being in love (or a sappy love movie about two people in love). It’s not a lie when people say that love makes a person glow. Being loved and loving back is such a special thing that it literally radiates from your face.
And just…imagine both of those two things time a million.
You can pick a smaller number if it’s easier.
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