It's Been A While

Wow...It's been a while since I've blogged. Contrary to what you may believe, I've been very busy. It's time to play catch up. Why do people say, "play catch up"? I don't play when I catch up, I get serious. So seriously, this is what's been going on and going through my mind the last month or so....

Kirsten and I took our first girls only road trip to MS during her Winter break. No boys allowed! J/K, Greg had to work. I would have loved for him to join us, but he felt like keeping his job was a little bit more important than making a 6 hr. drive, one way, to get a splenda chocolate peanut butter shake from Bops. However, he second guessed himself when I texted him pictures of Kirsten and me devouring our Bops. Kirsten and I spent time with my friend Allison for a couple of days, then we went to Benton and stayed with my parents for the rest of our trip. We spent some qt with my parents, siblings and nephews which was long overdue. We planned on staying longer but Kirsten got sick so we came back to GA.

I've been pretty religious about my workouts. I'm not necessarily losing a ton of weight or anything, but it's about the only thing I can really do for myself, and it's the only time I have to myself. I go to the gym almost everyday while Kirsten's in preschool. It feels good to have the people at the gym know me by name when I walk in, and give me pats on the back as I work out. When I leave they always say stuff like, "you are doing such a great job," and "I see you working hard in there"...makes me feel good. Every girl likes encouragement, especially if it involves exercise.

Greg and I have made a commitment to tackle our debt once and for all. We've had our "I've had enough moment." We realized how much we can do or accomplish if we get rid of our debt and use the money we use to pay off credit cards for other things. We want to be like "The Secret Millionaire", only we aren't millionaires. We started a plan through our church called, "I Was Broke, Now I'm Not." The guy that started this ministry, Joe Sangl, came to our church and packed the house when he spoke. He's awesome, his outlook is awesome and his plan is awesome. Everything is Scripture based and he, along with his story, is such a testimony. Greg and I are so fired up about this. Many haven't taken the news well that we are starting to focus our finances towards supporting our future and paying off our debts. I didn't realize how uncouth it was to not want to have debt anymore. Not only is it uncouth to work on getting out of debt, it's uncouth to live within your means. Seriously, we've gotten so many opinions on how wrong we are to say "no" to things we can't pay for with cash. I guess things are better when they really cost 2 or 3 times more with accrued interest. That's a lie I've bought into long enough. I know we'll face many trials with this process and season, and I know there's going to be some sacrifices. I just pray for mercy and protection as we take these steps towards obedience. We'll have keep our eyes focused on blessing others later.

Time for Opinionated Wednesday.....
1- "Why don't you just....?" - This will be the title of my first book. A pet peeve of mine is when you start to talk to someone, and no matter if you are stating something just to talk, or you dealt with an issue, the person will respond with..."Why don't you just....?" I would so much rather the person say, "Would you like my advice?" At least that way, I feel like I asked for it, or like I gave you permission to give me your opinion.

2- Right now on American Idol I like Lauren Alaina from GA, and Pia Toscano. I am so over that Scotty guy. He bears a strong resemblance to Howdy Doody and he was horrible with The River. It's time for him to go home.

3- I saw on the Today Show today that there's a condition called Shopping Bulimia. Really? This is a condition where someone repeatedly buys things and returns them just to do it. Ok...Today Show, this is far more devastating than the natural disaster in Japan. Come on, the things that get coverage these days.

Keep Japan and the Japanese, along with what's to come, in your prayers.