I ♥ Steven Curtis Chapman

Okay, anyone who knows me knows I am not fond of change – and that’s an understatement, like saying Santa could stand to lose a few pounds.  I park in the same parking space all the time, sit in the same seat at lunch, and don’t like to change. But when it came to Steven Curtis Chapman, I had to give change a try.

I love, Love, LOVE Steven Curtis Chapman. If you don’t know who he is, I’m so sorry!! He is a Christian singer, an incredibly prolific writer and an amazing musician. I think he can play anything! I wrote a blog sometime before how I think being his guitar tuner would be the coolest job in the world! (BTW, my radio station – The Joy FM had a contest where somebody actually got to do that!! I think they got the idea from me!!) According to Wikipedia, he has 5 Grammies, and 56 Dove Awards, which is Christian Music’s version of an Grammy. He has sold more than 10 million albums and has 8 certified Gold or Platinum albums. I’m not the only one who loves him.  I may have to do a whole other blog post about how much I love SCC. Just for a taste – I have 6.5 HOURS of his music on my mp3 player – and that’s not even all my music that’s his – it’s just my favorites. I think I counted 8 CDs on my shelf and that’s just one shelf.

Anyway, there was a horrible tragedy in his family several years ago. I prayed so hard for them because I was so afraid that all that he has stood for all these years would just crumble and fall apart.  But they didn’t!! God gave them the courage and strength to get through – and he and his family are not the least bit ashamed to say that.  I saw him about 15 months after the accident and he’d aged – he never had before. But they made it through. I don’t think for one second it’s been easy  or that they’ve magically arrived, but they survived – and their faith seems to be intact! He can still sing.

Anyway, he has a new album called “re-creation.”  It has several new songs, but a chunk of the songs on the album are “re-created” songs he’s done before. He redid this for this album.  Well of course this freaked me out!! I don’t like things different. Some of the redone songs are some of my favorites and how dare he change them?? I like them fine just the way they are!  

I bought it today and I gotta tell you – it’s fabulous. I feel like an idiot for even questioning. Not that my questions changed anything – they are his songs and he can do with them what he wants to, but they are wonderful. I don’t know if KNOWING that he’s gone through the valley and come out makes them sound different. Maybe it’s knowing his heart is different and he’s singing them from a different place. His child died – and he still sings about how the love of God leaves him speechless. He’s astonished and amazed by the wondrous grace of our God. . . 

I’m speechless. And astonished and amazed.

Dear Channel 8,

Steve Jerve will ALWAYS be my favorite weatherman in the whole wide world, but I must say, I lost a little respect for Channel 8 this past weekend. Your post about a teacher being arrested for DUI was unnecessary, hurtful and I think just flat out mean.  What she did was wrong, but I'm sure she is not the only person arrested for DUI this entire weekend. You singled her out by her profession.  There should be some sort of name for that -- it's not racial profiling, it's not sexism or ageism, but it is still a sort of prejudice!  I tried to just let it go, but the more I thought about it, the more upset I felt. Shame on you!

Now, the chances of someone from Channel 8 reading this are slim and none, but it made me feel better to say it.

A priceless plastic bottle. . .

I got a special bottle tonight. At first glance, it’s just a plain old plastic bottle, but it’s what you can’t see that makes it so special. 

 

Tonight at church, one of my sweet little girl showed me a bottle of water she’d brought from home.  She had it in her Easter basket and she had another half full one.  She said ‘Look at what I brought!” I thought she just brought it to drink later. I could tell it had some  sort of  flavor added to it, so we talked about the color and the taste. She told me it was mango pineapple. I talked about not liking mangoes, but I smelled it and looked at it. 

Later,  she asked me if I minded if she drank it, since I didn’t want it.  I realized( like a big dummy!) that  she brought that bottle FOR ME!  She even asked her mom for a permanent marker to put  an “S” on the top for Sandi. She put an “A” on hers for Alyssa. 

I was blown away! That was the sweetest thing!  I felt terrible that I didn’t realize it earlier and hurt her feelings.  Of course, I apologized profusely and told her how sorry I was and what a big dork I was for not getting it earlier.    I shared half of my bottle with her and we drank it together.  It was really good!  What she didn’t realize was this – since she brought it just for me, I’d have drank it if it was boiled beef bones!  Even if I HATED it, I’d have chugged it down, for her! Luckily, that wasn’t the case!

They say every seven years your tastes change. I have never cared for mangoes, but I realized after I thought about it, that I ate mango lime pie from Publix, and I’ve eaten mango candy lately.  Maybe it’s true your tastes change. Or maybe the sweetness of that darling little girl is what helped make it taste so good!

Thank you Alyssa for being such a sweetie! Thank you for thinking of me!

I wish I were more ADVENTUROUS

I’m not a brave person. I realized this week that I have friends who are MUCH braver than I am. I wonder if I choose them on purpose to help me be more brave! That’s sort of an aside thought and not really the point of this post, but it’s sort of related.

Here’s the point – I watch Food Network A LOT! I love Iron Chef America, the Worst Cooks in America, all that stuff.  I’m fascinated when they use spices and things I’ve never heard of. I  like to cook, sometimes, even though I don’t do it much.  I’ve been showing my students some videos that show how people eat in other parts of the world and in several of them, the people got to the market.  Lots of places,  it seems, still have spice markets where people go and purchase the spices they need.  Here’s a great picture that I got from Wikipedia that seems to show up often in these videos:

I wish I were brave enough to try some things I’ve never heard of. I use garlic and celery salt and I have several bottles of spice blends but I’m still kind of wimpy when it comes to spices. 

Oh wait, it’s not just spices. I’m a creature of habit – most of the time I get the same thing all the time when I go out to eat.  For example, if I go to the Outback, I get Alice Springs Chicken with no mushrooms.  At Carrabbas, I get the Chicken Trio. Even at McDonalds, I always get a Quarter Pounder, ketchup only. I should be brave and just try something different. Why don’t I??

I don’t like vampires

So I know I’m in the minority here, but I don’t like vampires. I don’t like the idea of vampires and I don’t like vampire stories.  I got scared YEARS ago when I read Salem’s Lot by Stephen King.  I was in college and I slept with the light on for weeks. 

Now, vampires are HOT in literature. With the success of the Twilight books and the Sookie Stackhouse books , I may be one of the few people who doesn’t like them. I read two of the 4 Twilight books – and couldn’t read anymore. I can’t stand Bella – she is the antitheses of  what I like a book heroine to be. I think Edward should have let the bad vampires get her in the first book and then it would be over.

And as for Sookie Stackhouse, I’ve read one before and I’m trying again, but I’m not enjoying it. I’m reading it because I’m mostly done, but I’m not loving it. I know that they are successful – they made a series on HBO from these books, but I don’t care.

Oh wait, I do like the movie “The Lost Boys.” My friend Kevin and I have watched it 100 times (okay, maybe not really) but we have watched it a lot. I remember one time we scared ourselves to death. It was cold and rainy and we were sitting on our couch at opposite ends.  Right about the time the vampire comes down the chimney, a whoosh of air came down our fireplace.  We both screamed and ended up in the middle of the couch, clutching at each other. Ah, good times, good times.  But other than that, I don’t like vampires.

Random Thoughts from My Head Today

So here’s what’s going on in my head tonight. I’ve gotta warn you, it’s a scary place in there right now.

1) I hate the “F” word! I think there is absolutely no use for that word. I also think that the day someone tells me that I just have to “accept” that word directed at me, I may have to find a new job.  I tell my children – “Using curse words in the sign of a small vocabulary – and a small mind.”  I hate curse words!

2) Pepperidge Farms Gingermen don’t taste  QUITE as good in February as they do in December.

3) Italian Wedding Soup is fabulous, I love it and I wish I could make it!

4) Conversation heart candies taste terrible.

5) I like writing my blog, even if nobody reads it! It makes me feel better.

6) I do NOT like my timeline thingy on Facebook.

7) I don’t know how to pronounce this word – “MANDALA” and every place I try and listen at it says it slightly differently. Two places say it “mun-dula” but some say “man-DA-LA.”  

8) I love reading children’s books and nothing makes me happier than a good book to read.

9) I keep forgetting to get the back windshield wiper on my car replaced – until I need it! Then, it’s too late!

See, completely random, completely strange, but that’s how my brain is working today!

My Sunday Letter for Madi

My friend Jennifer  blogs about her life and she does it more regularly than I do.  You can fin her blog here:  http://coffeechaosandcontentment.blogspot.com/

I probably shouldn’t link to it, because she writes so well, I’m kind of embarrassed.  She cooks and posts recipes and all the clever, creative stuff she does –and I just rant and rave like a lunatic. Oh well, I guess it takes all kinds, right?? Anyway, she writes Sunday Letters for her children and her husband. Her daughter Madi, is one of my Junior Church kiddos and she just blesses my heart. So, I’m stealing from Jennifer and writing my own letter for Madi.

Miss Madi,

I love getting the chance to watch you grow up!  You make me smile every Sunday morning when I go into my Sunday School class and you and Trevor are waiting for or eating your donuts!  I love how you like us to give you math problems to do, even though I hate  math. I like watching you figure it out and the look on your face when you get it!!  I love the look on your face when you run into the building for Junior Church.  I love, Love, LOVE listening to you read Bible verses during our lesson. I am fascinated by the look on your face when we do something crafty, and you are concentrating so hard, trying so hard to follow directions. 

Today, you did something really special.  As you know, we’re doing our JeDi lessons – which do not have to do with Star Wars, but are teaching us to be better disciples of Jesus.  Our No-Duh videos seem to always make you laugh!   Our first lesson was on reading our Bible, and when you brought me that list of all the verses you read, I thought my heart would burst. I know that your Papa was so proud of you too!!

So, I brought you a little treat today – a  plastic Yoda cup filled with treats. You so sweetly asked – “Can I give this cup to Trevor?”   I was so proud of you, and I know your family is too!! I think you share a trait with your Grammy – you think of others all the time. She has an amazing gift for that – and I think you do too!  I’m so proud of you and what a sweet girl you are, I can only imagine how proud your family is!!