Loving Difficult People

I was doing my occasional YouTube scan tonight and I came across this Beth Moore message.

http://youtu.be/a-pEs7YpulE

It's 1 of 6. Like everyone else, I have some "difficult people" to love in my life. I have prayed for years for God to allow the relationships I have with these people to be easier to deal with. I have 3 difficult people in my life that at times seem to take turns poking me with their thorns. I know everyone has those difficult people they deal with. This message gave me some insight into what I can do to try to learn to not only deal with them, but with God's grace, learn to love them. It's easy to love those who love us back. But it's quite a challenge to love those who don't care for us. I am choosing to face the challenge in obedience and allow God to work on me so He can work through me.

My notes from the message:
1- Change my attitude about the situations
2- Remain in prayer, but take my pride out of it
3- Realize that God's got His hand in this and He's got a plan

These are small steps, but I think they are some that I could go on and try to achieve.

From Then Till Now

Wow, so many updates. It's been hard to find time to blog with Kirsten out of school for the summer. I haven't really wanted to take any of my time away from her since I'm gonna have to share her again so soon with her teachers. I used to dream of time to myself, but since she started PreK (can't believe I actually typed that) I treasure all the time I have with her.

Since my last post, Greg got a promotion which we count as a blessing. Not only will this help out a lot with paying off our debt sooner, it gives Greg the opportunity to shine. He's so smart. We're so grateful that God is allowing him the opportunity to share his talents, skills and example with others. He's now the Director of Project Managers at DTI.

Father's Day didn't turn out the way I planned at all. I planned out this "dadventure" for Greg, and nothing fell into place. That's so frustrating. I told him I wanted to make it up to him and try it all again, but honestly it wouldn't be same if it wasn't of Father's Day. So maybe next year. I'm not giving away my details because they're still a surprise for Greg. We did end up going to eat, after waiting for over an hour (expected) and the kitchen messing up our order from being overwhelmed. Like I said, I hope to get a do over for his birthday. Since it isn't a nat'l holiday, I hope it can work out.

My birthday was great. Greg took off the day of my birthday and the day after. What better way to celebrate ones birthday than partaking in all the free goodies offered to the one with a birthday. We started our day off at Whitewater water park. We spend a lot of our summer at Whitewater. For lunch we stopped at Jersey Mike's for my free sub. Greg and I split a chicken salad sub while Kirsten had her usual turkey sub with cheetos. From Jersey Mike's we headed to Firehouse Subs for my free birthday sub there. So, Greg and I split a grilled chicken sub. Kirsten ordered her usual grilled cheese on sourdough, but then realized she was too full to eat after Jersey Mike's.

We booked Isabella to babysit for two date nights in a row. She's in high demand so we have to make reservations with her many weeks in advance. Greg took me shoe shopping and to Provino's for dinner. Yes, my meal was free. He also got me a pink birthday cake and blue bell birthday cake ice cream cups. My favorite.

After date night, I got to open my presents. He knows me so well....I got a pink jeweled cell phone case, and a zebra case. Greg also got me a table saw so I can exercise and express my creative side. I have to make me some jeweled safety goggles, just because I'm me.

Friday I got to sleep late and it was glorious. I got to have my coffee in bed and watch the Today show and other updates on the Casey Anthony trial. We ran errands around town all afternoon before it was time for date night #2. We went shoe shopping again and had dinner at Maggiano's at Perimeter Mall.

My inlaws came in town the weekend of the 4th of July to watch Kirsten while Greg and I ran in the Peachtree Road Race. We all went to the Peachtree Expo and hung out and ate pasta. They offered to take Kirsten back with them for the week so we could have some time to ourselves and hang out with Chi Alpha since they were in town for the week. How nice was that? I was a little hesitant at first, but was fine when we presented the idea to Kirsten and she was all about it.

Peachtree Road Race was Monday, July 4th. It's a 10K that starts at Lennox Square and runs down Peachtree Road, turns left at 10th St. and finishes in Piedmont Park. Mile 1 is a very small incline, not even noticeable. Miles 2-3 are downhill. Mile 4 is between a 7-8% incline the entire mile. It's known as Heartbreak Hill. You feel every single step. Mile 5 is flat and a little down hill in certain spots. Mile 6, I can't remember...I think I was hallucinating and running on adrenaline by that time. The .2 miles into the park seem longer than the rest of the race put together. Forget you just completed 6 miles, that's not enough. They want to squeeze another .2 out of you. If not, you don't get the t'shirt. It was 82 degrees and 70% humidity by the time we started. It was hard, ridiculous, and mean. I can't wait to do it again next year. BRING IT ON Heartbreak Hill.

Greg and I spent Monday afternoon and night with the Askews and Chi Alpha from Liberty Baptist in Hampton, VA. They performed for the Paulding Co. YDC and had dinner at the Varsity. It was so great to see Jeff and Liz and catch up with them. Chi Alpha was awesome. I loved watching them shine and share the love of Jesus with the hurting. This is a great group of kids. I could tell they were being ministered to as well as ministering to others. Being able to share in being a part of XA again for just a few days was such a blessing and honor.

So what did I do on my week off from my "job"? I cleaned my house from top to bottom. I watched the Teen Mom marathon on MTV. I got caught up on the Casey Anthony trial. I took a nap twice. I organized Kirsten's room. I did my Bible study. Greg and I made late night icee runs like we did when we were in college. I went to work with Greg one day and shopped by myself. Greg and I went to a Braves game and Stone Mtn. with Chi Alpha. I did not go to the gym this week simply because I took the week off, I can easily go to the gym with Kirsten, and I burned over 2200 cal. at the Peachtree. (not my normal weekly goal, but it's excellent for a 1 day work out) We had a date night on Friday night. We went to the Vortex and a movie. Usually we can't fit in dinner and a movie with a babysitter. It gets complicated trying to time it right. We didn't get home till about 12:45 and that's just way too late to ask Isabella to stay.

By Saturday we were missing Kirsten so much we couldn't wait to see her. We met Greg's parents in Tuscaloosa. WOW, is all I can say about the devastation there. We were seriously in awe of the damage this city has. Seeing it on tv is nothing compared to seeing it in person. I didn't go to Tuscaloosa expecting to see much if any damage. I wasn't expecting to drive through it. There was no way to avoid it. It's crazy how even the most solid structures can crumble in just a few seconds of a powerful storm. It was unbelievable. Please remember this city in your prayers. It really breaks my heart to see such devastation. I was going to take pictures and post them, but I decided not to. We've seen the pictures and the videos. Us looking at pictures doesn't help anything. Our actions after seeing the pictures is what helps. Even if all we do is pray, that's more than some will do.

Kirsten's Turning 4!

Ahhh, my baby is 4....tomorrow! I thought the meltdown at 3 was fierce, but 4? It's crazy when some of my mom friends from Kirsten's class say things like, "and my child will be 5 in Sept.", or "he'll be 5 in Nov." WHAT? Kirsten's just turning 4....sslllloooooowwww dddoooowwwwnnnn. I have to admit "3" has been my absolute favorite age so far. Of course, I do love the baby stage, where you just look at your infant and hang on to every coo, and facial expression. Then comes the milestones of sitting up, and baby food, and crawling, then walking and a few words. I do miss those precious times I can't get back. What I don't miss are feedings every 2-3 hours, nursing, the smell of baby food, colic, explosive diapers, lack of sleep, and potty training. I would definitely do it all again, but I don't particularly miss it.

As we all know we can't celebrate or recognize any type of occasion worthy of mentioning without some lists. So, in honor of Kirsten's 4th birthday I want to share some lists of things that showcase my child and my adoration towards her.

Top 4 Kirsten-isms of age 3:

4. Me: "Kirsten, you know you are so stinking cute."
Kirsten: "No I'm not, Mommy. I just took a bath."

3. Kirsten: "My Daddy's favorite drink is Mountain Goo"

2. Kirsten: "I have 2 Gwamaws and 2 Pawpaws. I have a Big Gwamaw, and a Little Gwamaw, and a Big Pawpaw, and a Little Pawpaw."

1. Kirsten: "Mommy when I was a baby was I in your tummy?"
Me: "Yes, Kirsten you were."
Kirsten: "How did I get there? Did you eat me?"
Me: "Haha, No Baby, God put you in there."
Kirsten: "Oh....Did God eat me?"


My top 4 things I love about Kirsten:
4. She's the perfect mix of Greg and me. She carries the genes of our strongest qualities. She's great at problem solving like Greg, and she gets her creativity from me.

3. She's so sweet to other kids. She goes out of her way to speak to everyone and she does her best to include kids if she notices them not being included.

2. She is the most observant person I have ever known. Her observance is better than some of the smartest adults I've ever met. She has a photographic memory, I just know it. I don't say this as bragging about my child. This is nothing I could have ever taught her. She just has this observant memory that amazes me.

1. She's such a prissy, girly girl. She loves the mall. She loves to shop and try on dresses. She loves to cook with me, and pick flowers. She loves to dress up and have tea parties. I could not have hand picked a more awesome child.

I'm so honored to be her Mommy.

Mother's Day

A lady at our church was baptized yesterday and she shared the most amazing testimony about Mother's Day. A few years ago, on Mother's Day, her 19 month old son drowned in a pool. As you can imagine the agony and pain she went through, she said she was so angry at God. It took her years to move past this pain and regain her faith and strength. She recognizes and confesses that Christ pulled her through this, and gained complete control of her heart and life. Seven years later, on Mother's Day, this lady gave birth to her daughter. There is absolutely no way this story can be credited to anything BUT GOD. She saw it only fitting to share her testimony and baptism on Mother's Day. There was not a dry eye in the room. Hearing stories and testimonies give me so much light and encouragement. I love to hear how God works in others lives.

Greg and Kirsten made my Mother's Day so special. I felt so spoiled, loved, and mostly appreciated. We make a weekend out of holidays in our house. We make about a 7 day celebration out of birthdays. My weekend started with a trip to Roly Poly in Kennesaw. Greg isn't too fond of Roly Poly, but I am. I haven't had one since it closed in Jackson, MS years ago. I've been asking him to take me ever since I found out GA had them. It's about an hr. drive away, but he took me. On the way, I saw a church was having a craft show/garage sale. So, I asked Greg to stop. He was like, "Seriously, you want to go to this garage sale?" Of course...you never know what treasures you'll find. I found fabric remnants for $.25, and a wooden ladder, that I've been wanting FOREVER for $5. It wouldn't fit in the car so I couldn't get that. :( On the craft side of the event, this precious tweenager made these hair accessories to sell to help raise money for a mission trip she's going on this summer. Well, I am a sucker for tweenage fundraisers, especially those "for Jesus" kinds. I bought a couple of hair accessories for Kirsten and some friends who have little girls. These were so cute....watch out Blu Gertrude. It made the tweenager's day that I bought so many. But seriously, I now have her on speed dial in case I need a hair accessory pronto. :)

After the church function we went to Roly Poly, and it was still as yummy as ever. Then, Greg surprised me by taking me to Alpharetta. I love Alpharetta. All the shops look like castles. It's like Madison on very illegal steroids. We went on a wild goose chase looking for the Ben & Jerry's only to find it had closed. :( So we went to Northpoint Mall. They have the biggest White House/Black Market store in the universe. Not really, but it's pretty huge. I stayed in there for about 2 hrs. Then I got to take Kirsten to the American Girl store. She's counting down the days till her 8th b'day so she can have her party there. I mean, all her friends will come right? It's only about 1 1/2 - 2 hrs away. Kirsten ended up taking a nap...yes you read that right. She got so tired of shopping, I mean window shopping, that she fell asleep. So, Greg, being the muscle man he is, carried her 38 lb. self around the rest of the afternoon. What a great man...he let me shop (again, window shop), he followed me around the mall (that was 1 1/2 - 2 hrs away) on a Sat., and he lugged a sleeping 38 lb little girl for about an hour...greatness.

For dinner Greg took me to our favorite restaurant in Atlanta, The Real Chow Baby. So fabulous. We make everyone that comes to visit us try it. No one has left unsatisfied. It's an Asian stir fry place. You go through the line, fix your own bowls of rice, noodles, veggies, meats, sauces and spices. The cooks cook it for you then bring it to your table. It's all you can eat, so if you mess up your food, you can just go back and try again. Kirsten even ate the stir fry this time, and she liked it.

After we stuffed ourselves to the point of almost not fitting in our seatbelts we headed home. At home Greg had rented The Social Network from Redbox for me. I've been wanting to see that forever, and as part of our "cutbacks" we stopped our Netflix. I haven't watched a movie since February, and there's been tons of releases since then. The gesture was grand, but I fell asleep during the movie....long day.

Sunday Morning, Mother's Day, I was served my coffee and MOMosa in bed. Greg and I sit up in the bed on Sunday mornings and watch Charles Stanley on tv. I know, we're dorks, but he's really good for a pastor from the previous generation. He obviously opted for that Anger Management While Delivering a Message class in seminary :). When Kirsten woke up, she and Greg gave me my Mother's Day present....a Coach purse. Sorry, a PINK Coach purse. I was so proud of Greg. Kirsten said, "Mommy look, it's pink!" Love her. After getting ready the four of us went to church. The four of us being Kirsten, Greg, Me and my purse. We had a great message at church about family conflict, spiritual warfare and strongholds. Quite appropriate for Mother's Day, wouldn't you agree?




After church, I exercised my right to forgo lunch since I was still stuffed from The Real Chow Baby dinner, and I couldn't wait on my surprise Greg had for me. We pulled up at The Avenues and I thought for sure he had scheduled us to take one of those awkward family portraits with the backgrounds from the 70's and everyone seems to be sitting in front of each other. I was pleased, no I was ecstatic, to find out he had scheduled Kirsten and me appointments at Parisians. We were both going to get mani/pedi's. Kirsten walked right up to the wall of colors and chose her color right off and I chose lavender for me. She was all about this until she saw the pedicure chair and foot bath, then she freaked out. So, I opted for the hour long pedicure with some fancy sounding scrub and oil treatment. I haven't had a pedicure in years, and it was due time. I love my man. I do wish Kirsten would have joined in the fun, but I think she was just tired from Sat.

After my fabulous pedicure, we headed to Atlantic Station for ice cream. Cold Stone was packed, but it was a beautiful day to stroll around Atlantic Station. I love the atmosphere there. After the ice cream we went on another goose chase for some cupcakes Greg likes and he wanted to get for me. They were closing when we finally got there, and only had coconut left. I am not a coconut fan so I'll have to go back when they have a larger selection. For dinner, Greg grilled steaks. I sat on the couch while he cooked and propped my pedicured feet up. It was a great great day. Can't wait to honor my man for Father's Day for all his hard work.

What's On Your Mind?

As you all may know, my Bible study group recently finished the study, Jesus The One and Only, by Beth Moore. It's one of her earlier studies, but she was on fire. It started off a little slow, but as it progressed it became all I could think about. I couldn't get enough of learning about Jesus' life, His works, His character, His love for me, His obstacles, His responses, His reactions, His emotions, His authenticity, His heart, His teachings, His words, His example....like I said, I can't stop. With the way the study's schedule fell, our final session was the Monday before Easter. How appropriate.

Lots of areas in our study have really triggered my curiosity. For instance, the story of Judas Iscariot. Judas was one of Jesus' 12 disciples. Jesus chose these 12 men to be His followers. They ate with Jesus, stayed with Jesus, studied with Jesus, walked with Jesus, prayed with Jesus, and journeyed with Jesus. Jesus actually had many more disciples, but these 12 were the ones that dwelled with Him. These disciples were like family to Jesus. In fact, Jesus calls them His mother and brothers in Matthew.

Judas was the disciple that handled all the finances. He was a tax collector so he had a love for money. He loved money more than he loved Jesus. Judas did not have a genuine relationship with Christ, therefore his heart wasn't guarded against Satan. The Bible says that Satan entered Judas. Judas sold Jesus out for money. This is sort of ironic considering that Judas heard Jesus' sermon on the mount where He explained that the love of money is the root to all evil. This betrayal happened to fulfill prophesy, so Jesus was aware of what Judas was going to do to Him.

The question that rang in my head was this....Since Jesus knew Judas was going to betray Him, did it still hurt? I wondered this because Jesus experienced all types of emotions and temptations that we as humans face. This was in order for us to learn by His example how to handle these situations. Betrayal is awful. Especially, if it's from someone we consider family. It seems like knowing the betrayal was coming would make it less painful.

Call me a dingbat, but I always associated the betrayal towards Jesus with Peter. This was a type of betrayal, but Jesus knew Peter's heart, and He knew Peter often acted out of impulse. Jesus also knew Peter's denial would be a part of Peter's story, and eventually be used to God's glory. Jesus even tells Peter that "He prayed for Peter's faith to not fail, and when Peter turns back around He is to strengthen his brothers." I can't think of anything more encouraging I could hear from Jesus when I know my sins have disappointed Him. The Bible reveals Peter's heart to Jesus when it says that as soon as Peter realized he denied Christ he ran outside and wept bitterly.

Now, back to Judas. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. With an act of affection. With a symbol of love. Could it be any worse? I can't see anything but pure evil portrayed here. How could someone hate somebody so much as to act like a part of his family, then turn the person over to the enemy who would later kill Him? And, do all this while kissing His cheek? Remember, Jesus did nothing wrong. He was innocent. What causes such a heartless act other than pure evil?

So, was it painful for Jesus to be betrayed even if He knew it was going to happen? I have to believe the answer is yes. Was it less painful since Jesus knew? I really don't think so. I truly believed in Jesus' heart He wanted to fulfill God's will. But I also know that on the Mount of Olives, Jesus prayed 3 times to God asking Him to remove the cup from Him. I believe Jesus hoped Judas wouldn't betray Him. Maybe for the sake of God finding another way. Maybe for the sake of Judas not spending his eternity in hell.

We live in a fallen world and we've all experienced betrayal. Some of us have experienced betrayal by family and those we consider family. We may even expect the betrayal to happen, but we always hope it won't. Then when it does, does it hurt any less? Maybe to those who have hardened their hearts. But we aren't called to harden our hearts. We're called to have hearts after God's heart. This would be to have the things that hurt God, hurt us. I find comfort in knowing that if I face times of betrayal God sees my hurt, and it hurts Him that I am hurt.

Jesus was all-knowing about His betrayal, and He treated Judas no differently than He treated His other disciples. He broke bread with Judas. He even washed Judas' feet. How humbling that was for me to grasp. May we all pray and accept God's strength to show such love to those who hurt us. This is what we're called to do as Christians...as Christ followers.

Another deep thought I've had is this...I know when Christians pass away, we go to Heaven and God gives us new and transformed bodies. What if this is figurative and not so much literal? We are told that when we go to Heaven we become Christ-like. The lame will walk, and we'll have bodies of strength. What if we don't necessarily have that body we dream of, we just see it that way? Since we'll be Christ-like, will we see things as Christ does? If so, will we see ourselves as Christ sees us? He sees us as beautiful. He doesn't see our flaws the way we do. We are God's workmanship. What if we were able to see ourselves that way, and others too? If this is how we see ourselves in heaven, there really won't be a need for a total body transformation, right? What if the beauty we hold inside, becomes exactly who we are? If so, I know some amazingly beautiful people, and their beauty would blind us on earth. Maybe God saves this for when He makes the blind to see.

Personalized Blessings

Since Greg and I have started getting strict with working our way out of debt, we've started noticing how God has blessed us. These are what I like to call my "little happy" blessings. I see them as those little acts of encouragement God gives us to show us He knows we're trying. He's individualized these blessings to fit us, where others may not think twice about them. I want to list them not only to show you how grateful I am, but so you can recognize some of the blessings God's given you as well.

1- My Mom, my Aunt Lynn, and my cousin Ashley came in a couple of weekends ago to shop for Ashley's wedding. We had the best time with each other. Greg had to work all weekend, so Kirsten and I got to spend time with just the girls. Kirsten really enjoyed shopping and spending time with everyone. The fact that my family took the effort and time to take off of work and drive such a long way to come see us was blessing enough. They introduced and treated us to some new restaurants and wonderful meals. I never expected such generosity from all of them not only for me, but Kirsten and Greg as well. When I stopped for gas, my Mom payed for my gas, and my Aunt gave Kirsten a gift of adorable Croc shoes. So sweet, and so generous. Thanks again, you two for your kindness and generosity. I look forward to returning the blessing one day.

2- Kirsten and I were pretty sick last week. I took Kirsten to the doctor, which would normally cost $20. No big deal, I'd rather pay $20 now to get her well, than pay hundreds later for lung X-rays and lab tests. When it was time to check out and pay, the doctor's office told me I had a credit there, and I owed them nothing. $20 Blessing.

3- I left the doctor's office with a Rx for Kirsten's nebulizer medication. Every other time I've had to fill this Rx it's cost me $80 with my insurance. This time it was $15. So this sickness only cost me $15, and she'll be stocked up with breathing treatments for at least a year. $65 Blessing.

4- Kirsten needed new sandals and dress shoes. I budgeted this to be around $50. I found her the cutest pair of sandals at Gymboree from last season for $5. Then, I found an even cuter pair of dress shoes for $25. I figured I would pay that since I got the sandals so cheap, and it was still in the budget. I went to pay and the shoes rang up for $10. Not only were her shoes inexpensive, they are new and stylin'. $35 Blessing.

5- As you know, I am obsessed with Special K and Peter Pan PB. I was down to my last jar of Peter Pan, and about to stress. Really, I was. Publix happened to have it on sale BOGO free last week. I got 12 jars for $12. Kirsten told the lady at check out, "My mommy loves peanut butter, but only Peter Pan." Special K is on sale this week at Target for $2.50, and I have coupons. Special K has been on sale 3 times this year, and usually, it's only on sale in Jan. Extra Blessing.

6- Greg received a promotion a few weeks ago. He's only been at this job since August. He's the smartest, kindest, hardest working guy there is. Not to mention, he's got a great smile, he's funny, charming, and looks hot in his business casual, which I'm sure had a little to do with it :). God chose to bless him with this promotion right now, instead of his yearly review or possibly never. Leaving his previous job was a big decision, and not the easiest choice to make. We've had to make a lot of adjustments from this transition of jobs, but Greg's confident this is where he's supposed to be. This new employer has allowed Greg to go in to work later, so he's able to take Kirsten to school in the mornings. He's allowed to work from home if necessary, so when Mommy's sick, Mommy has some help now. They are also pretty "pro-family", so when Kirsten has parties or programs at school, her Daddy can be there. Blessing after Blessing.

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.