Summer Lessons

Hello... I have returned to earth. I know, I know I haven't written anything in over a month. The only good excuse I could come up with is that I have been working on my book - honestly- and I have made pretty good progress. School begins for me next week so this will be my final blog for Summer Bloggin. Nevertheless, you will be proud to know that my summer has been filled with a few lessons that I would like to share with you:

1. Don't leave the house in the summer with the central air turned off longer than 2 days without taking out the garbage filled with chicken, fish, etc..- you'll only return to find 2 generations of magets that have moved in and refuse to leave! Lesson Learned: Take out the garbage everyday!

2. Don't sit on the patio in the heat- majority of the summer I sat on my patio during the day and talked on the phone - since I was the only person I know without a job- and repeatedly felt ill. Reason being? I am glad you asked because the air quality is so bad in Atlanta that it wasn't healthy to breathe longer than 1 minute a day. Lesson Learned: STAY INSIDE!

3. Bug Off - I have realized that insects - indoor and outdoor- have a natural attraction to me. I have been bitten/attacked so many times this season that I thought about getting tested for West Nile. Lesson Learned: Bug repellent doesn't work on me anymore!

4. This summer I have been working on my book and dealing with some personal issues that I have never truly confronted. The writing process has given me the courage to be candid about some issues that have been ashamed to admit. When I finally decided I wouldn’t hide my issues any longer the end result was very positive. Lesson Learned: Honesty and transparency frees you!

5. Without going into details, this summer I met someone who made me think about the benefits of being in a loving relationship. I have learned a lot from him. I realized that I didn’t always consider the possibilities of love. Lesson Learned: Love is possible for me.

6. Besides romantic relationships I believe that this summer has allowed me to evaluate my friendships. My friends have been my anchors through a lot of life challenges. This summer I have had to depend on my friends in ways that have been very uncomfortable for me. I had to open up about things that I had never talked about and relied on their support in ways that was hard for me. Lesson Learned: True friends are custom made gifts from God that are given to challenge you to grow.

7. I have a lot of decisions to make about my future. The pressure and competition to get into a PhD is overwhelming. I don’t have a perfect GPA, nor can I speak fluent Greek coupled with the limited New Testament slots each year. I don’t always think I will pull this off. Then I realize that I am focusing on the obstacles not the opportunities. Lesson Learned: There is nothing impossible for God.

8. I have been told, on several occasions this summer, that I have unrealistic expectations of people- including myself. And when these unrealistic and inhuman expectations are not met then I am devastated. Lesson Learned: Give people, including myself, the room to be less than perfect!

9. I left United Way in June to take some time much needed time off. During this time I have been faced with a lot of financial, business and personal issues. Some days I felt that I should just throw in the towel because things weren’t going as smoothly as I had planned. My natural inclination to plan out every single detail of my life for the next 10 years was backfiring on me. One day I opened up my bible and began reading about story of Moses leading the people of Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land. And during their journey to the Canaan God provided fresh food (manna) to them every day. The food provided could only be consumed for the day. The people could not eat more than what they needed. And then the next day God would provide fresh food. I then realized that every day God would provide. Lesson Learned: God’s provisional care is given to us everyday


10. I start school on Tuesday. Lesson Learned: Enjoy everyday of summer because before you know it school is back in session!

I have been on hiatus from bloggin but I had to come out of the cave to vent about what I just saw on television! I was watching a tlc program "Baby Story" while eating a late lunch. I won't go through all the details of the show but it chronicled the events leading up to the delivery of a baby. This particular episode there was a young couple expecting their first child. Well the husband was adamently against his wife receiving an epidural during the delivery... WHAT? Now I am not from the school of thought that men should have no say so in issues of pregnancy and childcare. But this is a entirely different issue! This man thinks that he has so much control over his wife that he can tell her how much pain she must endure to have their child! I could not believe my ears. I do have to add a few hours into an intense labor his wife looked at him and said "listen to me. I can not take another minute of this. I am getting the epidural." and he just nodded. You Go Girl!!!!

Funniest Sound Bites this Week!

"One day the good Lord will take Fidel Castro away."
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH
on Cuban leader Fidel Castro, responding to questions at the U.S. Naval War College in Rhode Island

"Now I understand why I survived Bush's plans and the plans of other presidents who ordered my assassination: the good Lord protected me."
FIDEL CASTRO
Cuban leader, in response to Bush's remarks

iphone Frenzy

Ok.Ok. I am jealous of everyone today who purchased the hottest phone out... Apple's iphone. Its a sleak new phone that literally puts advanced technology at your fingertips. With a touch pad screens and access to phone,internet, itunes, video etc. at only about $500 or so. It leaves the Blackberry and Treo in the dust. I would love to replace my Treo with a iphone but I can't validate spending $500 on anything right now that is not essential to shelter.

Today as I watched lines of mostly men lined up overnight just to get the latest phone, I couldn't help but get a little peturbed. Because I thought to myself if I surveyed how many dads were in line and how many of those dads stayed up late to get a teething baby back to sleep or how many gave their kids baths everynight I am sure a significantly low number of them would raise their hands. But here they are standing in the hot sun waiting on a possible chance to get a cell phone. Priorities people. Priorities.

When Dating Isn't Enough

Recent events have led me to the title of this post. For those who are jumping up and down because you think I am ready to march down the aisle, I am sorry but that's not what I mean. What I am talking about is a certain disposition that MUST go along with dating. I love dating. I wished that I had been more open to dating years ago. However my dating escapades,although never dull, they never evolve into anything long term. And then I realized what many of my friends had been telling me for so long.. that I was apathetic and lacked the necessary hope that I would meet a good man. I realize that just being friendly and open is good but it isn't enough when dating. My outlook needs to be more positive. For example, have you ever known someone who always thought people didn't like them. Rather it was true or not their attitude caused them to have feelings of isolation and loneliness. Therefore they would withdraw from people, people would steer clear of them and then they would say "Look, I told you no one likes me."

So I have changed my perspective. I will continue dating but pour in a little hope and optimism into the pot and see what I can cook up! I will definitely keep you posted.

Revenge and Justice

I know the everyone has heard about the latest murder incident with Jessie Davis the 9 month pregnant mother and girlfriend of police officer Bobby Cutts, Jr who has been charged with both murders (and his burly friend Myisha Ferrell who is charged with obstruction of justice.) I am a news junkie and I hear about countless murders all the time. However, this story has been a difficult case for me and in many ways I feel personally invested. Possibly because 2 very close women in my life are pregnant (but not attached to crazed men), or that my hometown is about 30 minutes away from Canton,Ohio. Either way this case is disturbing on so many levels that it has become my daily obesession to follow all breaking details on CNN, FOX, and online news channels.

There have been reports, unofficial, that Cutts was an abusive man with a history of violence. It is unbelieveable the number of women who are victims of domestic violence everyday. Its disheartening. Ohio has the death penalty and if Cutts is found guilty of double murder he will more than likely get the death penalty.I believe that justice is best served when an individual, who would murder their pregnant girlfriend in front of their son, is allowed to remain in solitare until he dies not placed on death row. I believe that he should spend the rest of his life alone to be haunted by his cruel and abhorable acts of violence.